Amazon released its most recent update to the Fire HD 10 tablet in 2023, and it was starting to feel pretty dated with only 3GB of RAM under the hood. Amazon, deciding to forgo the fanfare, has quietly released a new version of the tablet with an extra 1GB of RAM, bringing it more in line with modern budget-friendly tablets.

Of course, with a new model and more memory comes a slightly higher price tag. Instead of $139.99, Amazon has pushed the price to $154.99. While $15 isn't necessarily enough to break the bank, for an affordable tablet like this, it could be the difference between being within someone's budget and not.

There's a bit of confusion on Amazon's website. You can see the new Fire HD 10 on the company's website, and everything looks normal there. But if you go to the older model, it says, "You’re viewing the newest model of this product — see what's new" right on the front page.

Lots of potential buyers aren't looking at the latest tech news to see when Amazon quietly launches upgraded tablets, so they might just search for Fire HD 10 (or even a cheap tablet) on Amazon and stumble on the three-year-old version and think it's the newest one. That extra 1GB of RAM could significantly improve overall performance.

It's possible Amazon still considers the 2023 version to be the newest model, since it's the only one that offers 3GB of RAM, and it's showing the 4GB version as a separate model, not a replacement, but that would be an odd distinction to have between models, and I have to assume the 3GB version will be phased out.

Both tablets have 32GB of storage, and the 64GB upgrade is only available on the older model. Perhaps Amazon has decided that the extra space isn't needed in a tablet at this low price point.

If you're in the market for an affordable Amazon device, and you think you'll benefit from the extra memory (and I'm pretty sure you will), be sure to get the actual latest version. Hopefully, Amazon removes the "newest model" tag from the 2023 Fire HD 10 to avoid confusion, as I'm sure this was just an error and not an attempt to trick shoppers. But even if it's a mistake, it could still lead to confusion and wasted money.

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I don’t think anyone is purposely trying to spend more time on their smartphone these days. Instead, we’re all trying to use them less, even as social media algorithms, vertical videos, and online shopping conspire to draw us back in. I’m just as guilty as anyone — but I may have finally found a way to keep my doomscrolling at bay. All it took was a teensy, tiny e-reader.

Now I’ll admit, I was caught up in an endless scroll through YouTube Shorts when I first discovered Xteink’s X4. This small, surprisingly simple, single-use device immediately captured my attention. A few days later, Amazon Prime Day was in full swing. While looking for deals to cover, it popped up right in my feed, on sale no less.

I’m no stranger to trying out new devices. Just like with the Playdate handheld, I decided to buy an Xteink X4 just to experience this now-viral gadget for myself. I’m glad I did. It wasn’t just a fun piece of tech to play around with; it actually got me reading again, albeit in small spurts when I normally would have been scrolling.

Here’s what it’s been like using a tiny, open-source, barebones e-reader for a week — and why it just might be the missing puzzle piece to break your endless scroll.

Trading smarts for buttons

Unlike one of the best Kindles or even TCL’s NXTPAPER tablets, Xteink designed the X4 to be as simple as possible. It doesn’t have a touchscreen, and you can’t even read in the dark since there’s no backlight. Instead, you’re getting an incredibly simple e-reader that’s for reading and nothing else. Heck, you can’t even make annotations or look up unfamiliar words using a built-in dictionary.

At 4.49 x 2.72 x 0.23 inches, the X4 is an incredibly small device. Sure, it’s slightly bigger than its predecessor, the X3, but compared to a modern day smartphone, it’s light as a feather at just 74 grams. Unlike many of the best smartphones, you actually get a few accessories in the box, including a microSD card reader for your computer, a screen protector, and a few magnetic rings in case, like me, you’re not using an iPhone. Surprisingly, it also comes with a microSD card pre-installed. Even at 16GB or 32GB, this is still more than enough space for thousands of ebooks.

Given the lack of a touchscreen, the X4 relies on a series of physical buttons on the front and sides to navigate. Underneath the screen, you'll find navigation buttons used to scroll through the menus on the home screen or flip pages while reading. Then on the right side, in addition to another dedicated set of page-turn buttons, there’s a sleep button and a recessed reset button sitting right above the device’s microSD card slot.

The left side of the X4 is button-free. Instead, it houses a USB-C charging port, a tiny LED charging indicator light, and a lanyard loop cutout. Meanwhile, the top and bottom edges of the device are completely bare.

That initial YouTube video I saw was impressive enough to convince me to pick up my own X4, but after holding it in my hands, I’m even more impressed with its simple, understated design. With my unboxing out of the way, it was time to power the X4 on, load up some ebooks and start reading.

A page at a time

Now with the X4, you won’t be heading to Amazon's Kindle Store or another ebook shop on the device itself to load up some books. Instead, this is a BYOB — bring your own books — situation. You can certainly buy your own ebooks and put them on the X4 if they’re in the EPUB format. However, you can also download free ones and load them onto the device.

I read through all of the classics available from Project Gutenberg back when I first started e-reading on my old iPod touch. However, one of my favorite modern sci-fi authors, Cory Doctorow, also offers several of his novels for free under Creative Commons licenses. So I downloaded the novel Eastern Standard Tribe to try re-reading it on the X4 along with one of his books I hadn’t read yet, Makers.

From there, I just copied the EPUB files onto the X4’s included microSD card, powered the device on, and I was good to go. Since I had a medical appointment downtown, I decided to bring the X4 with me to do a bit of reading in the waiting room. Once that was done, I took it outside to see how well its 4.3-inch screen handled direct sunlight. It did so surprisingly well, remaining perfectly legible even in direct glare.

Since my wife and I were already downtown and planned on cooking Korean BBQ at home this weekend, we swung by H Mart to pick up all the ingredients we needed. Just for fun, I pulled the X4 out while we grocery shopped to see if I could squeeze in a few paragraphs here and there. On the compact screen, those paragraphs turned into pages incredibly fast, and before I knew it, I was a full chapter in.

A trip to H Mart is always a good excuse to pick up your favorite ramen alongside a bowl or two of flavors you haven’t tried before. While my wife browsed through some of the more outrageous options, I woke up the X4 and got back to reading. While you can’t read at night unless you get one of those old-school, clip-on reading lights, this little e-reader was incredibly clear under the harsh, overhead lights of a supermarket.

Before I knew it, we were at the register checking out and I had made serious progress in my book. That’s really the beauty of the X4. Since it isn’t bogged down with loads of extras, it wakes up from sleep instantly. There is nothing to distract you; one second it's in sleep mode, and the next, you’re right back into the paragraph where you left off.

Magnetic to a point

Now, before you rush out and pick up an Xteink X4 after watching a vertical video like I did, there are some limitations you need to be aware of. Yes, the device itself is magnetic and you can attach it to the back of your smartphone to bring this tiny e-reader everywhere you go. However, your mileage can — and likely will — vary.

For instance, in the video I watched, the person filming had the X4 attached perfectly to their phone. Since I’m still daily driving a Nothing Phone 2, I borrowed my wife’s iPhone 14 Pro Max to test this out. As you can see, the X4 does magnetically attach to her phone, but not in the way you’d think.

On that older Pro Max model, it only attaches sideways, which is less than ideal for slipping both devices into your pocket. I tried this with a standard iPhone 15 later on, and it aligned perfectly. Surprisingly, just like with the Google Pixel Tablet, I was also able to stick my X4 directly onto the front of my fridge without any modifications. Then again, you do get a two-pack of adhesive magnetic rings in the box, so regardless of what phone you use, you should be able to make things work.

Besides the lack of a backlight, the other big limitation is the X4’s stock software. Fortunately, there’s a very easy fix for that. The community that’s sprung up around this tiny e-reader has created its own custom firmware called CrossPoint, which drastically improves the reading experience. Flashing it onto my device took less than five minutes. Afterward, I even went back onto my computer and loaded some custom wallpapers onto the SD card. Let me know in the comments below if you’d like a step-by-step walkthrough on how to install CrossPoint and customize the X4.

There is an X4 Pro on the horizon that adds a touchscreen, but for me, that defeats the purpose of this tiny e-reader’s charm. I like not accidentally turning pages. The tactile, analog feeling of pressing a physical button to flip to the next page is something I’m sure users of older Kindles still miss to this day.

At its $70 full price — or the $55 discounted price I paid — the Xteink X4 is an absolute steal that could very well reignite your love for reading just like it did for me. Just don’t go into it expecting a tiny Kindle Scribe, and I bet you’ll be incredibly pleased with this little, single-purpose device too.

• I asked Perplexity for a reading list — and it outperformed every book app I use
• I tested the brand-new Kindle Colorsoft 2026 — and it’s still the King of e-readers
• I tried the TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus and this budget tablet is easily my iPad killer — here’s why

The next iteration of the iPad Pro is likely to be focused on refining and improving performance rather than any radical design changes. But alongside faster chips and battery efficiency, it could also pack a somewhat overdue feature to keep it among the best tablets you can buy.

According to Bloomberg, Apple may introduce vapor cooling to the iPad Pro "to improve sustained performance and reduce overheating." The site is also claiming we could see four new iPad Pro models arrive with the generational refresh in spring 2027. This would likely be the variants we're familiar with: 11 and 13-inch options, with each one coming in either a Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi+Cellular configuration.

If you're not familiar with vapor cooling, it involves a sealed cavity within the device filled with a network of metal strands and a small amount of fluid. In the case of the iPhone 17 Pro Max (which arrived with the upgrade back in September), the fluid is deionized water that evaporates and moves to the cooler side of the chamber when the phone heats up. As it does this, it takes some of the heat energy with it and, once it condenses, it flows back to the warmer part of the chamber to start the cycle again.

Adding proper thermal management to the iPad Pro (more on that down below) is one thing, but I wouldn't be surprised to see an M7 processor on the next iPad Pro as a one-two punch performance upgrade.

There's some strong suggestion Apple will skipping the M6 Pro and M6 Max and go straight to an M7 MacBook Pro next year. Considering the base M5 processor debuted simultaneously on the 14-inch MacBook Pro and the iPad Pro in 2025, it's seriously likely we could see the same thing occur next spring.

The trade-off Apple needs to make

When Apple launched the iPad Pro last fall, it went all-in on making it the thinnest device it had ever made. And it did so without an advert that created enough backlash it had to be pulled off the air. But while getting the iPad Pro down to a razor-thin 5.1mm is a remarkable achievement, it came at the cost of thermal throttling.

Consider the fact you have a desktop-grade processor inside a wafer-thin aluminum slab, and it's not surprising you start running into some heat during pro workloads.

I'm no industrial designer, but if a thicker iPad Pro chassis was needed to accommodate a vapor cooling system, I'd approve of the change. Anyone prepared to pay for the iPad Pro wants top-level performance, peak graphics and AI processing without worrying about overheating.

Those Apple customers who prioritize a thin and light device will still have the iPad Air ready and waiting for them. Which, incidentally, is still the best tablet we recommend for most people.

Would you be happy to sacrifice a bit of portability for performance in the next iPad Pro? Let me know your thoughts below.

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A few days ago, Apple finally confirmed that the "unprecedented challenge" of the RAM crisis had forced it to hike the prices of some of its hardware, with some devices now costing as much as $1,300 more than they did this time last week.

Question is, are these latest price hikes a fair trade-off for quality devices being manufactured at a time when the AI boom is eating up mountains of RAM, and the Strait of Hormuz shipping disruption has put further commercial pressures on manufacturers, or is Apple being greedy?

Tom's Guide member relh didn't hold back, commenting, "I can understand why Apple had to make an increase but I am not planning to help them maintain their huge profit margin (which I understand is north of 30%). For the first time since 1984 when I bought my first Mac (yes, the very expensive 128K model) I am thinking about bailing on Apple."

This comment made me feel both nostalgic for the first Apple product I used, and sympathetic to the user's point.

In response to our recent poll asking "At what point do you usually give up and buy a new Mac?", relh continued, "My answer to the survey used to be 'when hardware can’t run latest system software'. This would have applied this year when my Intel iMac could not run new macOS BUT this year the ridiculous increase of more than 30% for a Mac Studio put a stop to that. I had planned to upgrade on Friday but the price increase I saw on Thursday was more than I could tolerate."

What do you think? Let us know in the below poll, and in the comments section.

Apple Increases

Apple has raised the cost of MacBooks, desktop Macs, iPads, Vision Pro and even the less-memory-hungry devices like Apple TV 4K and Homepod... and has hinted that this is just the beginning. Among the full list of Apple price hikes are these notable ones:

• Apple TV 4K: $199 (up from $129, $70 increase)
• HomePod: $349 (up from $299, $50 increase)
• iPad: $449 (up from $349, $100 increase)
• MacBook Neo: $699 (up from $599, $100 increase)
• iMac: $1,499 (up from $1,299, $200 increase)
• M5 Pro MacBook Pro: $2,499 (up from $2,199, $300 increase)
• Vision Pro: $3,699 (up from $3,499, $200 increase)
• M5 Max MacBook Pro: $4,099 (up from $3,599, $500 increase)
• M3 Ultra Mac Studio: $5,299 (up from $3,999, $1,300 increase)

The UK prices mirror the above US prices.

Apple users reactions

Our members weren't the only ones expressing their opinions on Apple's price hikes, with Redditors also feeling hot under the collar. On a thread in r/macbook, a user named Up_Beat_Argument wrote, "I feel like I watched the entire ripple effect work its way through the market, and it was surreal. Like being in a nightmare you can’t wake up from... And I guess the worst part is that it’s going to get worse before it gets better."

Among the 140 comments in that thread, users echoed sentiments about the new prices being too steep, mused that they may need to downgrade their tech in order to afford a new device, and echoed concerns about Apple's profit margins being an unspoken driver behind the costs.

Watching the Apple price hike unfold was surreal from r/macbook

Are these Redditors being too cynical, or do you think there's more than a grain of truth there?

On another thread, SwampYankee said, "I’d be surprised if they didn’t raise iPhone prices soon." This matches up with what analysts told my colleague Tom Pritchard about iPhone 18 price hikes likely being worse than we thought.

Comment from r/apple

To which perthguppy added, "Also, announce unpopular stuff from the outgoing CEO now, and give the new CEO a better honeymoon period."

They may have a point.

Comment from r/apple

Users on a thread titled 'Wall Street isn't buying Apple's unprecedented price hikes on products', though still generally disgruntled at the soaring RRPs, speculated that perhaps the increase was so steep because Apple had held off increasing prices for a couple of years, to avoid bad publicity.

Whatever the future holds for Apple prices (and let's face it, it's super unlikely to be any permanent reductions), perhaps it's time to consider shopping second-hand and refurbished Apple products for the time being.

How do you feel about the price hikes? Let us know in the comments below.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple price hikes are official — here's how much more you'll pay for MacBooks and iPads now
• Analysts warn the iPhone 18 price hike could be worse than we thought
• MacBook Neo vs. Chromebooks: Which budget laptop is right for you?

We all knew this day was coming. Apple has officially confirmed in statements to publications like CNBC that the RAM crisis has come for its devices and that MacBook and iPad devices are going up in price by as much as $500. Some high-end devices are going up by more than $1,000.

That's a significant bump for anyone looking to get their hands on Apple's latest hardware.

Apple's online store went down for a few minutes and came back with higher prices on many of its devices.

Of course, it wasn't done silently, as Apple offered a statement explaining the difficult decision to increase prices: "The consumer electronics industry is facing an unprecedented challenge. The rapid expansion of AI data centers has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage. We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly."

New Mac prices

Price increases are hitting across both U.S. and U.K., and since it's the same number on both sides of the pond, I can't help but feel especially hard done by in Britain given it's an apples-to-apples significantly larger number!

U.S. Increases

• MacBook Neo: $699 (up from $599, $100 increase)
• 13-inch MacBook Air: $1,299 (up from $1,099, $200 increase)
• 15-inch MacBook Air: $1,499 (up from $1,299, $200 increase)
• M5 MacBook Pro: $1,999 (up from $1,699, $300 increase)
• M5 Pro MacBook Pro: $2,499 (up from $2,199, $300 increase)
• M5 Max MacBook Pro: $4,099 (up from $3,599, $500 increase)
• iMac: $1,499 (up from $1,299, $200 increase)
• M4 Max Mac Studio: $2,499 (up from $1,999, $500 increase)
• M3 Ultra Mac Studio: $5,299 (up from $3,999, $1,300 increase)

U.K. increases

• MacBook Neo: £699 (up from £599, £100 increase)
• 13-inch MacBook Air: £1,299 (up from £1,099, £200 increase)
• 15-inch MacBook Air: £1,499 (up from £1,299, £200 increase)
• M5 MacBook Pro: £1,999 (up from £1,699, £300 increase)
• M5 Pro MacBook Pro: £2,499 (up from £2,199, £300 increase)
• M5 Max MacBook Pro: £4,099 (up from £3,599, £500 increase)
• iMac: £1,499 (up from £1,299, £200 increase)
• M4 Max Mac Studio: £2,499 (up from £1,999, £500 increase)
• M3 Ultra Mac Studio: £5,299 (up from £3,999, £1,300 increase)

New iPad prices

U.S. Increases

• iPad: $449 (up from $349, $100 increase)
• 11-inch iPad Air: $749 (up from $599, $150 increase)
• 13-inch iPad Air: $949 (up from $749, $200 increase)
• 11-inch iPad Pro: $1,199 (up from $999, $200 increase)
• 13-inch iPad Pro: $1,499 (up from $1,299, $200 increase)
• iPad mini: $599 (up from $499, $100 increase)

U.K. Increases

• iPad: £429 (up from £329, £100 increase)
• 11-inch iPad Air: £749 (up from £599, £150 increase)
• 13-inch iPad Air: £949 (up from £749, £200 increase)
• 11-inch iPad Pro: £1,199 (up from £999, £200 increase)
• 13-inch iPad Pro: £1,499 (up from £1,299, £200 increase)
• iPad mini: £599 (up from £499, £100 increase)

Apple TV, HomePod and Vision Pro

U.S. Increases

• Apple TV 4K: $199 (up from $129, $70 increase)
• HomePod: $349 (up from $299, $50 increase)
• HomePod mini: $129 (up from $99, $30 increase)
• Vision Pro: $3,699 (up from $3,499, $200 increase)

U.K. Increases

• Apple TV 4K: £199 (up from £129, £70 increase)
• HomePod: £349 (up from £299, £50 increase)
• HomePod mini: £129 (up from £99, £30 increase)
• Vision Pro: £3,499 (up from £3,299, £200 increase)

That's a lot of money, especially for ultra-high-end devices like the Mac Studio, which is up to $2,499/£2,499. For MacBooks, the largest increase comes to the M5 Max MacBook Pro, which is going up by $500/£500. In those cases, it's a matter of ultra-expensive devices becoming even more expensive.

While not the biggest increase, the MacBook Neo's $100/£100 price jump could be the most impactful. The Neo is Apple's attempt to target more budget-conscious laptop shoppers who would otherwise opt for a cheap Windows laptop or Chromebook. An extra $100 there could potentially put the laptop out of reach for some buyers.

Thankfully, iPhone prices are unchanged with this adjustment, but who knows for how long that will last. Perhaps the company will hold off until the iPhone 18 Pro hits the market.

More from Tom's Guide

• Windows fans mocked MacBook Neo’s 8GB RAM — my testing shows why that’s wrong
• I ditched the MacBook Air for a MacBook Neo for 48 hours — and I'm shocked
• MacBook Neo vs. Chromebooks: Which budget laptop is right for you?

I recently got the brand-new Kindle Colorsoft 2026, and it's definitely one of the best e-readers I've tried. In true bookworm style, I devoured fantasy novel after fantasy novel — but I had to buy every book. I didn't realize I could get 3 months free of Kindle Unlimited with my new e-reader.

Kindle Unlimited is effectively a refillable soda for books... or just a library card. Instead of buying each book individually, you pay a flat $11.99 a month, and you can "borrow" unlimited books per month. You can only have 20 Kindle Unlimited books downloaded at a time, but you can easily swap these out. It truly is "unlimited".

But you have to order a specific version of the Kindle to take advantage of this. The basic version is just 1 free month, so here's how you can triple that. Unfortunately, these deals are only for Prime Members. This deal is both U.S. and U.K.

The best US Kindle Prime Day deals

How to get 3 months free Kindle Unlimited

Snagging 3 months free Kindle Unlimited is so easy, I'm kind of beating myself up over not getting it for myself.

Here's exactly how you do it.

When you go to Amazon, scroll down. There are two secret tabs underneath the price information.

Make sure you have selected "With 3 months of Kindle Unlimited" before you check out.

Obviously, this is only a "trial," and you will have to pay $11.99 after your first three months. But saving $36 is awesome, especially if you've already saved $90 on the brand-new Kindle Colorsoft.

I wish I had known this when I bought my Kindle — now I'm stuck paying $11.99 each month!

We're tracking all the best Prime Day home appliance deals

Is the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 good enough to be one of the best e-readers? Yes, definitely. This is the King of e-readers — and it knows it. With a bright, 7-inch display (1 inch bigger than its nearest rival, the Kobo Clara Color) and up to 8 weeks of battery, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is here to stay.

But because it’s the King of e-readers, it’s priced like it. The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is $90 pricier than the closest Kobo alternative, an increase of 56%, and I’m… not really sure why. Yes, the Kindle library is bigger than Kobo’s, and Kindle Unlimited is better than Kobo’s, but does that justify a price increase of 56%? The initial $250+ cost might put off newcomers.

The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is a fantastic e-reader, though — just an expensive one. I thoroughly enjoyed my time testing this device. It’s easy to use, lovely to look at, and has bright color for comic books. Want to find out more? Keep reading this Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review.

All images showing e-books have been blurred for copyright. Screen is sharp and detailed in real life.

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: Specs

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: Price & availability

There are two models of the Kindle Colorsoft 2026: 16GB and 32GB. I tested the 16GB model, which can hold almost 6,000 books (depending on length, images, and the like). The 16GB model is $249 from Amazon U.S. and £239 from Amazon U.K.. The 32GB model is an extra $30/£30, making it $279 in the U.S. and £269 in the U.K..

Kindle also makes the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, which is not this product. If you want the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, that’s $279 from Amazon U.S. (yes, the same price, annoyingly). The Signature has automatic brightness adjustment and wireless charging.

I recently tested the Kobo Clara Colour, which is $159/£169. Honestly, if you want a great e-reader for as little money as possible, I’d go for the Kobo. Of course, the library isn’t as large — the Kindle Store has a near-incomprehensible 15 million titles, and a much wider self-published selection — but I’ve been able to find every book on my TBR on the Kobo store.

The Kindle Colorsoft Gen 1, 2024, launched at $279/£269, so no price increase there, which I like to see.

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: The ups

There are so many things to like about the Kindle Colorsoft 2026, including its speed, screen, and library size.

Processor go Brr!

The Kindle Colorsoft is faster than the Kobo Clara Colour. Not by much — it’s more “blink and you miss it” than countable seconds — but every little helps, right? When I turned both e-readers on at the same time, the Kindle displayed the reading material a touch faster than the Kobo.

Kindle store is a modern-day Library of Alexandria

As much as I loved testing the Kobo — and I think it works much harder than the Kindle — the Kobo store is nowhere near as large as Amazon’s. The Kobo store is still fantastic, don’t get me wrong, with millions of books available for purchase, and a Kobo Unlimited subscription too.

However, it just can’t compete with Kindle’s whopping 15-million-plus titles. This is an incomprehensible number. I couldn’t even imagine 15 million plotlines if I spent the rest of eternity locked in a dark room.

But Kindle has everything, including obscure self-published books penned by Susan who lives down the street. If you’re the kind of reader who absorbs books like they’re going out of fashion, then you might be better off with the Kindle.

With my purchase, I also got 3 months free of Kindle Unlimited and 1 month free of Audible, which is great and something other e-reader brands simply can’t compete with.

Kindle Unlimited is better than Kobo Plus

I’ve tried Kobo Plus and Kindle Unlimited, and what they say is true: Kindle offers a wider range of books, both big-name authors and midlist novels alike. Unlike Kobo’s library, KU isn’t just self-published/thriller type books. You’ve got huge names, like Holly Black, Colleen Hoover, Freida McFadden, and more. Kobo Plus just doesn’t have this range.

Kindle Unlimited is $11.99 for literally unlimited books, magazines, and audio, whereas Kobo Plus is $7.99/$9.99 (for books and audio).

Night mode for those tired eyes

Just like the Kobo Clara Colour, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 has a warm filter. Although any electronic light source can interrupt sleep, research has shown that front-lit e-ink screens with warm filters interfere less than blue light devices (like phones).

You can access the display settings easily by scrolling down on the left margin, much like the Kobo Clara Colour.

Although I don’t have any scientific, quantitative data detailing my improved sleep quality, I can report that my sleep was no more interrupted than normal after reading before bed. I read before bed every single night, e-reader or paper, and didn’t notice any difference.

Direct sunlight? No problem

As the Kindle Colorsoft uses a front-lit e-ink screen, which means the screen is lit from the front rather than the back, it is visible even in direct sunlight. As you can see from the photos throughout this review, the screen looks vibrant under strong sun.

This performance is identical to the Kobo Clara Colour, both of which offer natural, e-ink screens with fantastic visibility.

IPX8 rating for bathtub adventures

Like the Kobo Clara Colour, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is IPX8 rated. In real terms, this means it will survive if you accidentally leave it on the hood of your car before going through the car wash. Or something less ridiculous, like accidental dips in the bathtub.

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: The downs

Although there’s lots to love about the Kindle Colorsoft 2026, it’s not perfect. It isn't as customizable rivals, and it's much pricier, too.

Not as customizable as Kobo

One of my favorite aspects of the Kobo Clara Colour is that you can change the screen layout. You can also do this on the Kindle, but it’s more restrictive. On the Kindle, you can change orientation and font size, margins, and text alignment, but on Kobo, you can customize the actual layout of the menus.

On Kobo, you can change the ‘home’ button (the area of the screen you tap to bring up the main menu) depending on your preferences. By default, it’s set to: center tap brings up the menu, and then you turn the page forward or back by tapping the edge of the screen. I set mine so I have to click on the bottom of the screen to bring up the menu and 75% of the screen turns to the next page. I think this feels more natural because I’m left-handed and naturally tap to turn the page on the left side of the screen (don’t ask).

On Kindle, you can’t actually do this at all. You’re stuck with tapping on the top of the screen to bring up the menu, and 50% of the screen turns the page in its corresponding direction.

If there is a way to adjust this on Kindle, it’s not in the ‘Settings’ tab or in any of the device options menus, which is a con in and of itself.

Much more expensive than Kobo

Now, this is the biggest con there is. In our current, seemingly endless cost of living crisis, you need to save every penny you can get — or at least, I do.

The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 starts from $249, which is $90 more expensive than the Kobo Clara Colour. I don’t think the benefits justify the price increase.

The Kindle grants you access to Amazon’s huge library, which is a pro, and… that’s it? The other great features (front light, IPX8 rating, color, e-ink screen, long battery life, night mode) are all present on the Kobo. I totally recommend the Kindle, don’t get me wrong, but if you’re serious about saving every dollar you can, then I’d go for the Kobo.

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: Verdict

I really enjoyed testing the Kindle Colorsoft 2026. It’s got everything you’d want in an e-reader: a frontlit e-ink screen visible even in direct sunlight, and has night mode for those tired eyes. The battery life matches the Kobo Clara Colour — “up to” 8 weeks, but mine’s at 37% as we speak because I’m always using it — and the IPX8 rating means it’ll survive a dunk in the tub.

The only thing holding it back is the price. $249 is $90 more than Kobo’s competitor, which is an increase of 56%. Sure, the Kindle has a larger screen, but it’s not noticeably brighter. You can make the text on the Kobo as large as you want. The only main thing is the Kindle has a larger library, but whether or not this is a dealbreaker is something only you can decide.

At the end of the day, the new Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is a great e-reader, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by it at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading on this device.

Microsoft’s latest Surface devices won’t be cheap. As Windows Central reports, consumer versions of the Surface Laptop 8 and Surface Pro 12 powered by Snapdragon X2 chips have just been unveiled. Though these models are more affordable than the current enterprise models powered by Intel, they still cost significantly more than their respective predecessors.

The Surface Laptop 8 starts at $1,599, while the Surface Pro 12 starts at $1,499. Those prices sting on their own, but it’s made worse when you consider that they both started at $999 in 2024. Yes, the new devices pack the more powerful Snapdragon X2 Plus chip and more storage, but their respective price tags still sting.

One saving grace is that Microsoft is offering incentives. For instance, buying the Surface Pro 12 between now and June 30 gets you a free Surface Pro keyboard. Preordering the Surface Laptop 8 gives you a free Surface Arc Mouse and a 50% offer for Microsoft Complete. The free keyboard with the Surface Pro is especially useful since it's essential for using the tablet like a laptop. You can also save up to $900 when trading in an older Surface device for a new one.

I reviewed the business model of the Surface Laptop 8 with an Intel Core Ultra X7 chip and found it to be an overall excellent, if expensive, notebook. I haven’t tested the Snapdragon X2 consumer model yet, but it has the same design as the Surface Laptop I reviewed. Microsoft says the new Surface devices offer 53% faster graphics performance over last gen, and up to 15 to 20 hours of battery life.

Thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis driving up the cost of electronics, I can’t say that I’m surprised that the latest Surface devices cost so much more than the 2024 models. This is a story we’ve seen over and over again this year. However, thanks to the incentives and freebies Microsoft is offering, you might save by choosing to upgrade. The consumer versions of the Surface devices are available now.

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Even before ChatGPT went mainstream Siri has been the butt of jokes for not being very smart. And it’s been justified. Trying anything beyond the basics — playing music, getting the weather, setting timers — has been an exercise in futility. That (hopefully) changes with Siri AI, which is coming to iPhones, iPads and Macs with iOS 27.

I had a chance to see some in-person demos of the new Siri AI in action, and while these were very much rehearsed, there’s real potential here to save you time and make your life easier. However, the new Visual Intelligence is no Gemini Live, and Siri can take its time with certain tasks (at least in the beta stage). Here’s what I like so far, and what needs work.

Siri AI on iPhone

The first thing you should know about Siri AI is that it understands personal context. So you can ask questions about pretty much anything on your device, and the assistant is smart enough to dig through apps for you to surface the right info.

During one demo, an Apple rep asked “Which podcast did my sister recommend recently.” And Siri AI then pulled up the answer from a text message. Even better, you can just say “Play it” and Siri will fire up Apple Music and help you dive right in. (Apple will open up this capability to other developers in case you have another favorite music or podcast app.)

Siri can also get stuff done on your behalf across multiple apps, including performing multiple tasks with a single prompt.

The second demo started with just a couple of items on a camping list, but an email from a friend had a lot more recommendations. You can just say “add this stuff to my camping gear list and remind me to pack for my trip when I get home.”

Siri then got to work, updating the list in the Notes app and then setting a location-based reminder. However, it did take a while to complete these tasks. Hopefully, the final Siri will be faster.

I was pretty impressed by the improved Visual Intelligence experience, too. You can now access it via a dedicated Siri mode within the camera app, so you don’t have to use the Camera Control button shortcut. I think that’s huge for ease of use and discoverability.

During the demo, an iPhone captured an image of two books. You could then ask which book you should read first if you really liked Hyperion and Siri gave its recommendation. The Apple rep then asked which of these books had been turned into a movie and Wool had been adapted into the ‘Silo’ TV series. Cool, yes, but yeah I told you it was canned.

What’s not clear is whether this works with live video and I’m following up on that.

Siri AI on Mac

Accessing Siri AI on Mac is as easy as just pulling up Spotlight or typing command + Shift + Space. When you start typing Spotlight will know what sorts of queries should go to Siri versus say just launching apps.

Let’s say you’re looking for vacation spot and type “What’s the best Hawaiian Island for a young family.” Siri will get to work and pull up recommendations in a new window, which you can then expand and park on either side of the screen.

You can then ask follow-up questions like “Which is best for sea turtles” to narrow your selections. From there you can hit a button in the top right corner to bring you into the dedicated Siri app.

The dual-pane app will have your chat in the right window and your history of all Siri chats in the left window. It’s pretty easy to navigate.

To help you save time on productivity tasks, you can use Siri AI wherever you can use a cursor. The demo showed how you can be looking at a messy note with a bunch of info and then use a secondary click to bring up the Ask Siri menu.

After typing “Draft an email that summarizes this and include the action items,” Siri did just that. It’s definitely a timesaver. I just wish it worked with Gmail as well Apple Mail. Google would have to plug into Siri AI’s framework.

My favorite Siri AI on Mac demo came when a mock summer schedule appeared on screen with dates, times and locations for the matches. You can use Command + Shift + Space and then click the Add to Calendar button that automatically appears.

From there Siri AI will let you add all of the games to your calendar. Or you could tell Siri to only add the home games to your calendar if you wanted. Where was this when my kids were playing sports?

Siri on iPad

Last but not least, Siri AI on iPad works in much the same that it does on the iPhone, but having a larger canvas has its benefits.

You can access Siri AI at any time just by swiping down from the top middle of the display. As you begin to type “Who are the top golfers in the PGA right now,” the text “Ask Siri” appears right after it because Apple’s assistant knows that it can help.

Siri AI will then tap into Apple’s Broad World Knowledge and bring back answers, complete with citations you can click on.

Apple’s Siri AI can also help you plan a trip and you make the query pretty specific, like “What are the best national parks to visit in the US in July with my family? Recommend something that’s not too hot or crowded.”

Siri AI recommended where to go, including North Cascades National Park in Washington. You can then pop into the full Siri app if you like to ask follow-up questions, or use the Slide Over feature to keep the Siri conversation just a swipe away.

Siri AI outlook

Overall, Siri AI isn't just a rebranding for Apple. It’s a much more capable and personal assistant that's more deeply integrated into the apps you use.

I’m especially impressed by Siri AI’s use of personal context, and the ability to complete multiple actions at once. And while Visual Intelligence doesn’t seem quite as robust as Gemini Live in terms of having a real-time conversation about whatever’s in your camera view or on your screen, it’s certainly much improved.

In addition to a bit more speed, I just want to see what happens when developers get their hands on Siri AI so that you’re not just locked into Apple’s own apps.

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WWDC 26 is in the books (or at least, the keynote is), and as is tradition, we got a good look at OS updates across the Apple ecosystem.

iPadOS 27 is one such release, and developer beta 1 is out as of right now. Here’s what’s new, and why you might want to give it a try — and why you might want to skip it for now.

What’s new in iPadOS 27?

As with iPhone and Mac, the big draw here is the reinvented Siri, which is now much more capable. It’s context-aware, understands what’s on your screen, and can search through your data via on-device processing to find key data from your contacts, messages, Mail, and more.

There are also new child safety features like allowed apps, and a laundry list of tweaks under the hood to things like memory usage, display rendering, and more granularity over the Liquid Glass interface, which debuted last year.

A word of warning

As with any beta, iPadOS or otherwise, you should be wary of features (both new and old) working inconsistently. It’s not uncommon for even a tech giant like Apple to go through multiple rounds of testing before the public beta, which tends to be a little more stable (at least historically speaking).

It’s also possible that running the beta will cause a drop in your battery expectancy. If you find yourself needing to charge more regularly, it could be because you’re on the beta.

Supported iPadOS 27 models

iPadOS 27 is compatible with the following devices:

• iPad Pro 2nd Gen or later
• iPad Air 4th Gen or later
• iPad Mini 6th Gen or later
• iPad 9th Gen or later

It’s worth noting that the new Siri AI features are only supported on M4 or later iPad models.

How to get the iPadOS 27 beta

With those considerations out of the way, the process of enrolling your iPad is very similar to that in prior years.

First, you’ll need to enroll in the Apple Developer Program. You may already be enrolled from prior years, but if not, visit the sign-up page to get the ball rolling.

You’ll need to log your name and address, then set your entity type as an individual. When the payment screen appears, back out, and you’ll be on the free developer tier.

With that done, open your iPad and follow these instructions:

• Open Settings > General > Software Update
• Tap Beta Updates
• Select ‘iPadOS 27 Developer Beta’
• Then download it and install via the on-screen instructions

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Apple's annual developer conference, WWDC 2026, is happening right now, and there are plenty of announcements covering all of the company's major operating systems.

Apple recently switched to an annual naming convention with its operating systems, naming them after the following year. That includes iPadOS 27, which runs on the company's incredibly popular tablets.

Apple is constantly moving ahead with the iPad, and we know that WWDC 2026, which is likely to be outgoing CEO Tim Cook's last, will feature news and info on the latest version of Apple's slate OS.

The company's big focus with iPadOS 27 seems to be on improvements rather than adding new features, which makes it less exciting at first, but will be great for longtime users with sticking points.

Liquid Glass improvements

Liquid Glass is one of Apple's most divisive design choices in recent memory, and the company is showing no signs of ditching it in iPadOS 27. Instead, the company is leaning into it more with more Liquid-focused icons.

However, Apple is also adding a slider that provides better control over Liquid Glass, allowing you to go more transparent or increase the tint so it's barely transparent.

This seems like a smart design move for iPadOS 27 (and other Apple operating systems), as it allows people who really love the transparent look and feel to lean into it, while everyone else can limit it.

Child Safety features

Apple is making a massive expansion to its parental controls features for iPadOS 27. Screen management time is getting some notable upgrades, and developers will have better access to parental control tools within their apps.

"At Apple, our mission has always been to create technology that empowers people and enriches their lives, while helping keep them safe,” said Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health and Fitness. “Our approach to helping families create safer digital experiences is grounded in the belief that every child is unique."

Apple Intelligence

Apple is running new models that will run both on a server and on your device, which Apple says will offer powerful image understanding and more. The most powerful version of its on-device model will only support iPad devices with M4 chips, so older and more affordable iPads will be left out.

The biggest change here for iPad users is that everything is integrated into the OS, including the new Siri, so you can use speech to find what you're looking for. And of course, it can also go online to find answers and then provide them (much like ChatGPT and other AI chatbots).

Siri AI is Apple's name for its new personal assistant, which seems like the obvious choice. Apple promises more conversational features, a dedicated Siri app and a new visual design for the personal assistant.

The new Siri is more conversational, so you can go back and forth with it to get what you need done. Apple demonstrated how to use the conversation feature to plan a World Cup watch party, including a match schedule, menu items, and even searching conversations to find a suggestion from his daughter.

On iPadOS, Apple showcased a pop-out window showing a conversation with Siri and the Siri AI app. It also showed cross-platform conversations, so if you use an iPad, iPhone or other Apple devices, you can switch between them and keep your AI queries going.

On-screen awareness, a feature discussed previously, sounds useful, but Apple didn't go into much detail on how it will work.

Siri AI will also offer writing advice and a proofreading system-wide, which sounds useful if you write on an iPad.

Apple says privacy is a major focus for its AI features on iPad, which is important.

iPadOS 27 release date

Apple appears to be following its typical release schedule, with Tim Cook rounding out the keynote citing a Fall release date for the latest version of its iPad operating system and the beta is scheduled to launch

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WWDC 2026 is upon us, which means we’re about to learn all the upgrades coming to various Apple operating systems. Naturally, one of these will be iPadOS 27. If rumors are correct, we won’t get major iPad-specific upgrades as we saw with iPadOS 26. However, there should be plenty for iPad users to get excited about.

The biggest upgrade should be for Siri and Apple Intelligence, which is also expected for iOS 27 and macOS 27. Apple has lagged in the current AI race, but with Google Gemini powering Siri and Apple Intelligence, Cupertino might finally catch up. We also expect some enhancements to core apps, along with some performance updates.

We’ll officially learn what Apple has been cooking when WWDC kicks off on June 8. For now, here are the three biggest iPadOS 27 announcements we expect.

Siri and Apple Intelligence overhaul

Similar to iOS 27 and macOS 27, iPadOS 27 should see an Apple Intelligence overhaul, specifically targeting Siri.

One of the biggest rumored upgrades is Apple turning Siri into a full-fledged chatbot capable of complex, multi-turn dialogue. This will be possible thanks to Apple’s partnership with Google, which will use Google’s Gemini model to power Apple Intelligence. Expect advanced text- and image-generation features.

We should also see on-screen awareness, which will allow Siri to understand what is happening on your iPad screen. For example, if you’re looking at a document or photo, you can ask Siri to edit it or send it to a specific contact without manually dragging and dropping.

Similarly, Siri should also gain the ability to execute multi-step actions across different apps, such as cross-referencing information in Calendar and drafting an email response in Mail.

Core app enhancements

As with iOS 27, expect some core app upgrades. One such app is Photos, which is expected to receive a major Apple Intelligence boost. A new Extend tool will use generative AI to fill in background scenery beyond a photo's original crop. Meanwhile, a Reframe tool will let you manipulate the perspective of spatial photos.

Apple is also reportedly adjusting system-wide app layouts to better leverage the iPad’s large display. To that end, apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and Apple TV will see their navigation sidebars and tab bars consolidated, merging the search function right into the main navigation interface.

Performance and stability

Since iPadOS 27 is more of an iterative update than a substantial one like iPadOS 26, Apple’s engineers have focused most of their efforts on under-the-hood optimization.

For example, the team is reportedly removing outdated code, squashing long-standing bugs, and improving battery life efficiency and system responsiveness.

Liquid Glass was the major UI overhaul last year, and it’s expected to stick around. However, Apple is reportedly expanding its custom layout tools. This includes a system-wide opacity slider that lets you precisely adjust the appearance of interface elements to your liking.

iPadOS 27: Outlook

Even if iPadOS 27 isn’t as monumental as iPadOS 26, features like a smarter Siri, easier search, and a more stable operating system should make using iPads smoother.

Naturally, this is all based on rumors and reports, so we’ll have to wait until WWDC kicks off on Monday, June 8, to see what Apple has in store for us. Stay tuned!

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As the first half of 2026 winds down, it feels as though Apple has been relatively quiet while we wait for the big Fall product releases. WWDC 2026 is right around the corner in June and as is often the case, it marks the shift between the barren Apple months and the fruitful ones.

With that in mind, based on rumors and leaks, I expect Apple to debut at least 15 new devices between now and the end of the year.

Some like the iPhone and Apple Watches are your typical annual updates (save the over-rumored iPhone Fold), and potential updates to the MacBook Pro lineup. Others, like Apple's long-awaited smart home lineup, all depend on whether Apple has finally figured out Siri 2.0.

All of these devices could give us an idea if the recently reported hardware shakeup is ready to bear fruit.

So, here are the 15 Apple devices we could see this year in order of potential release date.

iPhone 18 Pro models and iPhone Fold - September

On the whole, the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max probably won't be a big divergence from the iPhone 17 versions. A new color, a better chip, possibly a revamped Camera Control button and a smaller Dynamic Island are all on the table. Decent updates, but not terribly exciting.

The iPhone 18 is, we expect, a gap year until 2027's 20th anniversary iPhone, which could truly shake up the iPhone design.

However, the bigger news is that Apple is expected to split the iPhone 18 release with the Pro models this year and the iPhone 18, 18 Plus, and 18e launching in the new spring window next year.

If it launches, and there is debate about that, the iPhone Fold (or Ultra) will be the headline stealer as Apple finally steps into the foldable phones market.

The allegedly crease-free foldable could feature a squat 7.7-inch inner display that is reminiscent of an iPad mini. Apple is reportedly developing iOS 27 to be tailored for the folding iPhone. We'll most likely hear more about that at WWDC 2026, depending on how coy Apple wants to be.

Apple Watches - September

Unlike the iPhone 18 family, there has been a dearth of rumors regarding the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. They typically launch in September alongside the iPhone.

Here's what we know so far.

The Series 12 could feature new holistic sensor tech on the bottom of the watch, including a new eight-sensor array. If true, this could indicate that new health metrics might be coming to the Series 12, or at the very least, more accurate ones. The big change might be an overhauled Health app featuring an AI-powered, personalized wellness concierge.

Otherwise, it should be largely the same as the Series 11, though it might feature Touch ID, which has been disputed.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 may or may not launch this year, the rumors are unclear on this part. If not, we might see the Ultra 4 in 2027.

As for the design, rumors hint at a thinner case, fingerprint scanner and improved Hypertension Alerts. But that's about it for now.

iPads - September/October

The iPad mini is one of the best tablets available today and the eighth iteration could launch this year. Apple hasn't had a consistent release schedule for its tiny iPads, but most rumors suggest the iPad mini 8 could launch around October, maybe late September.

It's rumored to get the A20 Pro, the same chip as the iPhone 18 Pro series. It could also be the first iPad mini to feature an OLED display.

As for the larger entry-level iPad 12, it could launch this year with an A19 chipset. It's looking like it will be a simple refresh with Apple Intelligence features and possibly Apple's N1 wireless chip. Design-wise I expect it to look the same as its predecessor. Outside of that, I only have speculation on possible increases in RAM and storage but with the memory crisis, that may take a back seat.

OLED MacBook Pro M6 and other Macs - October

If they launch this year, I expect to see at least four Mac devices, most likely in October.

The most interesting one is the potential MacBook Pro M6 feature an OLED display.

• Mac Studio
• Mac mini
• iMac
• MacBook Pro M6

Beyond the MacBook, all of the other devices will likely just be chip upgrades going from their current versions to the M5 family.

The Pro model might get a new name the MacBook Ultra, which is meant to differentiate it from the MacBook Neo acting as an even higher-end counterpart to the Pro. It should feature an OLED display and the new M6 chipset.

The design should be similar to previous Pro models. The big upgrades will be the display with a touchscreen and the chipset.

Smart Home devices with a catch

Apple has been rumored to be developing its own suite of smart home devices, including the overhauled HomePod. This could come in the form of a new HomePod mini, a new HomePod 3 and the Home Hub.

The long-awaited Apple TV 4K set-top box update would be part of this update, with new features meant to connect it to your smart home. We're expecting Apple to kit out the next Apple TV with an upgraded chip, possibly an A17 Pro chip, though that rumor is nearly a year old now, so a potentially more powerful chip could be in the cards. The device could also get the N1 chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Here's the thing, though, this all depends on whether Apple has finally figured out Apple Intelligence and Siri. Using AI to control your smart home with your voice and other tools is supposed to be a main part of the experience. That promise could finally arrive with the Gemini-powered version of Siri that is supposed to launch this year.

Additionally, Apple may have a smart security camera and Face ID doorbell in the works. Apple was reportedly in the early stages of development of those at the end of 2024, but it's not clear where Apple is regarding that now.

If Apple finally reveals the new HomePod and other smart home devices, it likely won't happen until after Siri 2.0 actually launches this fall.

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Apple has started sending out invites for the WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8 and it could have some hints about the future of Siri. The image, seen above, is clearly Apple Park, but the glowing symbol and the taglines like "coming bright up" give a hint at a potential visual overhaul for Siri.

It's two years late, but Siri 2.0 is finally supposed to arrive this year. Most rumors have hinted at Siri's potential capabilities, but this little teaser suggests that Siri could also get a visual overhaul.

Here's how Siri could be evolving.

iOS 27 and Gemini

Notably, Apple and Google have already promised that Gemini-powered Siri will debut this year with iOS 27. Google could help turbocharge Siri by offering the same multimodal performance that can be found in other AI chatbots.

With Gemini Live already available on some of the best Android phones, we already have an idea of how Siri could perform. For instance, the Galaxy S26 got advanced task automation to perform complex actions like placing a Dunkin’ Donuts order through DoorDash via voice.

Since the rocky launch of Apple Intelligence in 2024, Apple has been scrambling to refine what already exists rather than introducing new features. Still, this is the system that's supposed to undergird Siri, so new features are likely to be announced that would presumably integrate with Apple's virtual assistant.

That could include AI-based photo editing tools and things like the Galaxy S26’s Now Nudge.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously said that Siri 2.0 will offer a more "chatbot-like experience" acting as more of an on-device agentic AI for your iPhone.

However, he's also noted that Apple is making privacy a centerpiece of Siri, which would stand out from AI rivals like OpenAI's ChatGPT.

WWDC 2026: When and how to watch

Apple's latest iteration of its Worldwide Developers Conference runs from June 8 to 12, with the keynote starting on Monday, June 8.

Apple hasn't confirmed the exact start time, but the presentation usually starts around 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. As usual, the event will take place at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA.

The live keynote has generally been streamed on the Apple website, the Apple Developer app and its YouTube channel.

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Six years after Apple dropped Intel in favor of its own M-series processors, the two tech giants are reportedly partnering again on new silicon.

Last week, The Wall Street Journal that Apple and Intel had struck a preliminary deal to produce chips after a year of bargaining. That report did not include what devices those processors would fill.

But now a new report from supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple and Intel have already started initial production of processors for iPhones, iPads and some Macs. Per Kuo, roughly 80% of the chips are meant for iPhones.

Prior to 2020, Apple had a long history with Intel having switched to the company's chips in 2006. Intel-based Macs only just stopped receiving Apple support last year with the release of macOS 26. When macOS 27 drops later this year, it will not support any Intel Macs.

Kuo's report is a read and mostly covers how the Intel deal will impact Apple's partnership with TSMC which makes all of Apple's CPUs currently. But there are some noteworthy bits about where the Intel chips could end up.

The Intel chips are based on the 18A nodes which are used in the company's Panther Lake silicon. This deal apparently is using the chips for Apple's "low-end/legacy" devices.

Kuo's phrasing likely means that Intel is building chips for older models that are still on sale. TSMC would still "retain 90% of supply share" for Apple's more high-end processors.

If the deal works out, I expect we'll see a split between higher-end TSMC Apple devices like the Pro model iPhones and MacBooks. Intel would feature in the more budget-friendly devices like the e-series iPhones and the new MacBook Neo which is already struggling to keep up with demand due to a lack of chips.

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Outside of signing checks at a restaurant, I haven’t regularly written by hand since the early 2000s. My handwriting was always terrible, so when keyboards (both physical and digital) became the standard, I never went back to “real” writing again. As you can imagine, my handwriting has only gotten worse over the decades. Hence, testing the new ReMarkable Paper Pure has been an interesting experience.

In case you don’t know, ReMarkable has made a name for itself with its digital paper tablets designed for writing, sketching, and reading—all without distractions. The company is best known for the ReMarkable 2 and the color-enabled Paper Pro. Now, it is releasing the ReMarkable Paper Pro, which is effectively a spiritual successor of the ReMarkable 2.

I’ve used the new ReMarkable Paper Pure for the better part of a week, and I find that it lives up to its promise of being a distraction-free way to write digitally. There’s a lot to like here if you’re looking for such a device. However, if you’re used to keyboards, it might feel like technological regression. Here’s what I think of the ReMarkable Paper Pure.

What’s new with the ReMarkable Paper Pure?

The Paper Pure is the back-to-basics entry in ReMarkable’s 2026 lineup, sitting right under the more expensive, back-lit Paper Pro. This 10.3-inch monochrome tablet is essentially a digital version of a high-end legal pad. It’s just about as slim and light, weighing 0.79 pounds and thin enough to carry easily in your backpack.

Don’t mistake this for one of the best iPads or best Android tablets, as it has no color, web browser, and perhaps most importantly, no backlight. Because of that, you’ll need to be in a well-lit room or other light source to see what you’re doing. I’ll expand on this last bit shortly.

Another interesting aspect is that this device is made with 38% recycled materials and features a new, repairable design that’s held together with screws rather than glue. Thanks to that, it’s relatively easy to repair, which makes it more future-proof than traditional tablets on the market.

The writing experience

As I mentioned above, I haven’t handwritten for any serious length of time since I finished college in the early 2000s. Because of that, my first hour with the Paper Pure was admittedly a struggle. I’ll freely admit that it didn’t take long for my hands to cramp—something I wasn’t exactly prepared for. But I persisted, and the device slowly began winning me over.

I wouldn’t say that writing on the Paper Pure feels like writing on actual paper, but the amount of friction I feel when I put stylus to screen is satisfyingly tactile. In fact, I like the experience much more than using the Apple Pencil on an iPad Pro since it doesn’t feel like I’m writing on glass. It legit feels much closer to using a ballpoint pen.

Thanks to its 21-millisecond latency, the digital ink appears almost instantly on the screen. I say “almost” since you do see the delay, but it’s not egregiously long. And that’s fine, since I had to slow down anyway for my scribblings to resemble actual words. The intentionality of writing each letter took me back decades, which is likely why many still prefer to write by hand. You’re forced to slow down—something that’s almost unheard of in this fast-paced age we live in.

As for the lack of a backlight, I honestly didn’t find it an issue. I purposefully turn off the backlight on my Kindle Paperwhite to spare my eyes from yet another screen burning my retinas, so using the Paper Pure near a light source came naturally to me. I know some might legitimately need a backlit display, but I feel that would ruin what the Paper Pure’s attempt to function more like actual paper.

Useful features

Since we live in a digital world, the Paper Pure lets you transfer or upload files to and from the device. And if your handwriting is as bad as mine, you can even use some of the built-in AI features to clean things up. Don’t worry, as this is good AI that doesn’t get in the way.

With a Connect subscription, you can tap a button and watch your messy scribbles turn into a clean document. There is also an “Action Items” feature that scans your notes and automatically creates a separate to-do list, if necessary. I find this extremely useful, especially if I want to send a note to someone and don’t want them to spend unnecessary time deciphering my handwriting. This feature is also helpful if you take notes during meetings.

Speaking of meetings, you can sync your Outlook or Google Calendar, and the Paper Pure will pre-populate a note template with the date, time, and attendees of your next meeting. I wasn’t able to try this feature because my work account wouldn’t let me sync with my reMarkable account, but I can see it being handy.

Bottom line

Though I’m not yet ready to return to analog writing, I love what ReMarkable is doing overall. With so much digital noise around us, I appreciate that a device like the ReMarkable Paper Pure exists to deliver a more grounded and distraction-free experience.

Sometimes, it’s not all about how productive you can be, but how engaged you are with your work. If you agree with that sentiment, do yourself a favor and check out the ReMarkable Paper Pure. No pun intended, but it truly is a remarkable device—even for keyboard warriors like myself.

More from Tom's Guide

• ReMarkable Paper Pro Move review: E-paper in your pocket
• Kindle Scribe vs. ReMarkable Paper Pro: Which e-reader is right for you?
• I just tested the Kindle Scribe — and it will be hard going back to the Paperwhite

From the Nexus 7 to the iPad mini, I’ve always preferred smaller tablets you can hold in one hand and easily slip into a bag, which is why I was so surprised when I found myself reaching for an absolutely massive 14.3-inch slate instead.

Unlike other tablets where specs and sheer power are the main draw, the screen itself is why you’d choose a device like the TCL NXTPAPER 14 over something more conventional. Its specs are nothing to scoff at either though, with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and a whopping 10,000 mAh battery under the hood. However, the paper-like feel of its matte display and how you can go from a dedicated black and white ink mode to color paper mode with the push of a button is the kind of thing you truly have to see for yourself.

Although I tested out its smaller, more powerful sibling the TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus, it was the NXTPAPER 14 that first caught my eye. Even under harsh direct lighting, its larger screen remained completely glare and reflection-free. Now, I finally had a chance to use it in the real world and not just at a mall in Taiwan.

I’ve been using the NXTPAPER 14 for the past few months and while it may not end up being my daily driver, there’s certainly a place for larger tablets like this one — especially if you’d rather carry something more substantial under your arm.

From tablet to portfolio

One thing I immediately appreciated about the NXTPAPER 14 is how TCL provides you with everything you need right in the box. You get a folio-style case with a magnetic cover, a lengthy charging cable and more surprisingly, a pressure-sensitive, active stylus with a USB-C port on the side for charging.

Even with many of the best tablets, you often find yourself hunting for accessories like a case or screen protector after the fact. TCL takes the guesswork out of protecting and making full use of its NXTPAPER tablets, so you can instantly go from unboxing to enjoying them. And while there isn’t a screen protector in the box, I wouldn’t recommend using one since that would mean missing out on the paper-like feel of the NXTPAPER 14’s matte display.

I’m no digital artist but I like having a stylus on hand for scrolling and signing the occasional document. TCL’s T-Pen is quite capable too with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and around 100 hours of battery life on a single charge. What I like most about using it though is how the combination of its active tip and the matte texture of the NXTPAPER 14’s display feels. You don’t get that same drag when using a stylus like the Apple Pencil or the Surface Pen on a glass tablet.

Another thing I really enjoy about the NXTPAPER 14 is how it feels under my arm when carrying it from room to room around my house. With a screen slightly larger than your standard sheet of printer paper and an aluminum back, it really feels like I’m holding a clipboard folio that’s ready for any task.

Made to scroll

As someone who’s constantly checking the news, it almost feels like I scroll for a living when I’m not hammering away on my keyboard. With 7.9 inches from top to bottom horizontally or an even larger 11.9 inches vertically, the NXTPAPER 14 just feels great for scrolling. It’s almost like going from a budget laptop to one of the best laptops with a much larger trackpad.

TCL doesn’t let the NXTPAPER 14’s extra screen real estate go to waste either. Not only can you have two apps running side by side, but you can also have one app in floating window mode while another runs full-size behind it—great for having a calculator or a quick chat window just a tap away.

Going all the way back to your app drawer can be a hassle on a massive tablet like this one, which is why TCL added its Edge Bar feature. By swiping in from the edge and briefly holding, you bring up a customizable mini dock with useful shortcuts and tools, but you can also add your own apps to the mix.

As an avid reader, using the NXTPAPER 14 in portrait mode feels even better, at least for me. Whether I’m scrolling through a Google Doc or even the recently redesigned Tom’s Guide home page, I still can’t get over how much I can see at a time on this tablet’s larger display.

Though I covered this in more depth with the NXTPAPER 11 Plus, don’t forget that you aren’t limited to your standard reading modes here either. With a push of its namesake NXTPAPER Key, you can switch from the default Regular Mode to either Color Paper Mode or Ink Paper Mode. Both have their upsides, but I particularly like how using Ink Paper Mode on the NXTPAPER 14 extends its battery life significantly. There’s just something about seeing your remaining battery estimate jump from double to triple-digit hours with the push of a button.

If reading isn’t your thing, you’re still in luck because at 14.3 inches, the NXTPAPER 14 is around the same size as a portable monitor.

A smarter portable monitor

You won’t have any trouble running the respective apps for any of the best streaming services on the NXTPAPER 14. However, when I first used it to stream video content, I did so a bit differently. I was wrapping Christmas presents in the sitting room where we don’t have a TV and wanted to put on something in the background. Instead of Netflix, I opened the app for the Ugreen NAS I recently added to my home network and watched one of my favorite holiday movies to help deal with the fact that I’m terrible at wrapping presents.

As I recently had a chance to test out Genki’s new Covert Dock 3 with my Switch 2, I wanted to see if I could get some more demanding games running on the NXTPAPER 14. With its octa-core MediaTek MT8781 processor, you can play some simple games, but you won’t be playing the mobile version of Red Dead Redemption anytime soon. That’s where Genki’s ShadowCast 3 Pro comes in.

I hooked up the Covert Dock 3 under my desk, but instead of plugging in an HDMI cable to go out to my TV, I used the ShadowCast 3 Pro to get the video feed from my Switch 2 on the NXTPAPER 14. I did have to buy and download the Noir Pro: USB Camera app for $9, but that’s a small price to pay to play my Switch 2 on a tablet.

As I recently had a chance to test out Genki’s new Covert Dock 3 with my Switch 2, I wanted to see if I could get some more demanding games running on the NXTPAPER 14. With its octa-core MediaTek MT8781 processor, you can play some simple games, but you won’t be playing the mobile version of Red Dead Redemption anytime soon. That’s where Genki’s ShadowCast 3 Pro comes in.

I hooked up the Covert Dock 3 under my desk, but instead of plugging in an HDMI cable to go out to my TV, I used the ShadowCast 3 Pro to get the video feed from my Switch 2 on the NXTPAPER 14. I did have to buy and download the Noir Pro: USB Camera app for $9, but that’s a small price to pay to play my Switch 2 on a tablet.

Not quite prime real estate

The NXTPAPER 14 remains just as impressive after using it for several months now as it did when it literally stopped me in my tracks while walking through that mall in Taiwan. I always thought smaller was best when it comes to tablets, but after spending some quality time with its massive display, I now appreciate all that extra screen real estate.

Compared to more premium tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra or the iPad Pro, the NXTPAPER 14 does struggle at times with more demanding tasks. However, not only are you paying half or even a third less than those flagship prices, but you also don’t have to budget for the extra cost of accessories like a case or a stylus — TCL gives you the whole "clipboard folio" kit right in the box.

Given that TCL was kind enough to send over both the NXTPAPER 14 and the 11 Plus, I’m going to use the latter when I need portable power and the former when sheer screen size is most important. Still, you can’t go wrong with either of these more affordable tablets, especially as they pack in plenty of unique features you just won’t find anywhere else.

Who knows? Maybe TCL will go even larger with its next NXTPAPER tablet. Even if it doesn’t, though, I’d love to see a second-generation NXTPAPER 14 with just a bit more power under the hood to match its massive potential.

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The iPad Air is, to my mind, the perfect iPad for most people. It has just the right blend of price to performance to make it the Goldilocks device in Apple's tablet line-up. The iPad Pro is overkill, and the base iPad 11 lacks features for those wanting more than a content consumption device.

So when the iPad Air M4 arrived last month, I was primed to head down to my nearest Apple store and trade in my aging 2020 Air for the new model. But one thing has given me pause: the iPad Air still lacks an OLED screen.

According to a new report from ETNews citing an industry source, Samsung Display (which manufactures panels for Apple's tablets) is set to begin mass-producing new displays for an iPad Air OLED expected to be announced in March 2027.

Moving to an OLED display would presumably bring with it a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate. Apple finally brought that feature to the regular iPhone 17 last September, so I'd be mighty glad to see the iPad Air get the same treatment.

Currently, if you want the best display on an iPad, you need to go for the iPad Pro for those deeper blacks, enhanced contrast and more vibrant colors. Anyone who uses an iPad for video or photo editing will likely see the value in opting for an OLED device.

It's no secret to me (or probably you either) why Apple is dragging its heels on granting the iPad Air an OLED upgrade. The company wants to keep the best features fenced off to persuade people to go for the Pro models. But in a world where affordable Android tablets have been shipping with OLED screens for a couple of years now (case in point: Honor MagicPad 2), Apple withholding it from the iPad Air feels like gatekeeping gone too far.

The unnamed source in the ETNews report claims the next iPad Air "will feature an OLED with lower specifications and manufacturing costs." Which presumably means it will continue to be distinct from the iPad Pro in terms of performance, storage or certain features.

What will it do to the price?

Apple is riding high on credibility when it comes to affordable tech right now, thanks to the excellent MacBook Neo. But adding OLED to the iPad Air could easily lead to a price increase beyond the current $599/£599 MSRP.

The iPad Pro starts at $999 / £999, so I would hesitate to say an iPad Air OLED would cost north of $749, but with the current situation around RAM pricing, nothing is certain.

Would an iPad Air with an OLED screen tempt you to upgrade? Let me know in the comments.

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Less than a week after increasing the price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung quietly hiked up the price of more devices — including phones (via Phone Arena). This time, the price hikes affect Galaxy Z Flip 7, Galaxy S25 Edge, Galaxy S25 FE, and a whole list of Galaxy Tabs that are too numerous to list here.

Like the Z Fold 7 before it, the Galaxy Z Flip 7's cheapest variant, which costs $1,099 for 256GB of storage, isn't getting a price increase. Sadly, the 512GB model is now $80 more expensive, with prices rising from $1,219 to $1,299.

It's the same situation with the Galaxy S25 Edge, with the 512GB model also increasing by $80 to $1,299. The Galaxy S25 FE's 256GB model is now $749, up from $709, with the 128GB model staying at the same $649 price tag as before.

On the tablet side, there are 17 separate price hikes across various Galaxy Tab models and storage variants. The most notable of these is the 1TB Galaxy S11 Ultra, which has risen from $1,619 to $1,899 — an increase of $280. The 512GB Galaxy Tab S11 has also risen by $220, from $979 to $1,199. You can see a full list of all the price hikes in the table below.

Samsung hasn't released any statements or information about this price increase, but it's not the only company to quietly raise prices like this. Motorola recently raised the price of a bunch of its 2026 phones, Microsoft raised Surface laptop prices earlier this week, and Asus hiked up the price of the Zenbook A14 and A16 hours after announcing totally different prices.

The less we talk about gaming handhelds, the better, because those prices are really getting out of control.

Financial pressures on the tech industry are clearly to blame for all this. RAMageddon means that lots of crucial components are now in short supply, on account of AI companies buying up all the RAM and flash storage for their data centers. Not to mention the fact that tariffs are still a thing, and the constant uncertainty surrounding those charges isn't helping matters.

So if you were on the fence about buying a piece of tech, and weren't planning on waiting for the major sales seasons like Black Friday, you should probably pull the trigger now. Because odds are, the price could be going up without any advanced warning.

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The Kobo Clara Colour is a godsend. Combining the best features of all of Amazon’s flagship e-readers, the Clara Colour has it all: color screen, warm night lighting, a touchscreen, 49-hour battery life, full waterproofing, and native Libby e-book borrowing. And my favorite part? It’s $90 cheaper than the Kindle equivalent, the Colorsoft.

But is this enough to make the Clara Colour one of the best e-readers you can get? Heck yeah! I love my Clara Colour. It’s everything I could ever want in an e-reader. The screen is paperlike and visible even in direct sunlight, and when I’m reading on a plane or car at night I can up the brightness without needing to turn on a separate light.

However, the Kobo library is considerably smaller than the Kindle library — which, personally, is a non-issue as every book I’ve tried to purchase has been available on Kobo — but if you’re a KU self-pubbed kind of reader, you might want to stick with the larger library. To find out the full story (pun intended), keep reading this Kobo Clara Colour review.

Kobo Clara Colour review: Cheat sheet

• Who is it for? If you want an e-reader without paying the Kindle tax
• What does it do well? It’s $90 cheaper than the Kindle Colorsoft and does everything just as well
• What are its weaknesses? The Kobo library doesn't have as many books, but this is a non-issue for readers like me
• What should you use it for? Um, getting back into reading like the insatiable little bookworm you are

Kobo Clara Colour review: Specs

Kobo Clara Colour review: Price & availability

I blurred all book text to protect copyright. The Kobo Clara Colour display is clear and distinguished in real life.

Interestingly, the Kobo Clara Colour is spelled the same in the U.K. and the U.S., despite “colour” being the British/Canadian/Australian variant. In the U.S., you’ll find the Clara Colour for $159 at Amazon, and for £149 in the U.K..

Even so, the clue’s in the name: the Clara Colour is the color version of the BW model, which is $139/£139. This is Kobo’s entry-level e-reader: if you want a Kindle Scribe ($449) equivalent, you’d be looking at the Kobo Libra Colour ($229) or Kobo Elipsa 2E ($399).

The Kobo Clara Colour is considerably cheaper than the Kindle equivalent — the Colorsoft is $249, $90 pricier than the Clara Color. Similarly, the BW Clara is $139, whereas the Kindle Paperwhite is $159. True, the basic Kindle is just $109 — but this doesn’t have a warm light setting (unlike the Kobo Clara), so you can’t switch to night-safe reading.

Kobo Clara Colour review: The ups

The Kobo Clara Colour has so much going for it: night mode, the display clarity, the bright color, IPX8 rating, super lightweight feel, scrollable library, and more.

Night mode!

Unlike the basic Kindle, which lacks a night mode/warm setting, the Kobo Clara Colour offers both daytime and nighttime display. You can either select night mode to come on automatically, or you can manually adjust.

When I first started testing the Clara Colour, I set my bedtime at 9:00PM (yes, I am a grandma). You can choose between 9:00PM-3:00AM, which I think is a bit crazy. Who’s out here going to be at 3:00AM? In a perfect world, I think it’d make more sense for bedtime to align with your location’s sunset and sunrise times — but this isn’t a major issue, as you can just manually turn on night mode whenever the sun sets in your area.

But even if you’re reading at nighttime in a dark environment — think of being on a plane where you don’t want to disturb your neighbor by turning on the overhead light — you can just up the brightness while in night mode. While not completely blue light free, reading a frontlit e-reader with a warm filter isn’t overly detrimental to your melatonin production.

Paperlike display

As touched on briefly above, the Clara Colour uses a frontlit display rather than the LED, backlit display you might be used to. Generally, smartphones and tablets utilize backlit, blue-light displays, which are both difficult to read in the sun and can be detrimental to your melatonin production.

The Clara Colour has a frontlit display, meaning it uses tiny LEDs that illuminate across the screen itself rather than up into your eyes. This is also a paperlike display — I genuinely think it looks 99% like real paper.

Take a look at the screen in direct sunlight.

As you can see, the text is clearly legible, even in strong, direct sunlight. I don’t think the screen is grainy at all, nor suffers from leftover shadows (A.K.A “ghosting”) like the Kindle Paperwhite is known to, either.

Pool-safe, dunk-in-the-tub-surviving IPX8 rating

The Clara Colour is IPX8 rated, which means it’ll survive up to 60 minutes in up to 2 meters of water. The Kindle Colorsoft and Kindle Paperwhite have the same IPX8 rating, but the Kindle basic has zero waterproofing.

In real terms, this means you’ll be able to accidentally drop your Clara Colour in the bathtub or dry off from the pool beside it without it saying goodbye forever.

E-book renting — local library dependent, of course

If your local library uses Libby (Overdrive), you can rent e-books like you would borrow normal books. Unfortunately, my local library uses BorrowBox, which isn’t directly available on the Kobo store. However, I can still download ebooks from BorrowBox and manually load them onto my Kobo using Adobe Digital Editions and a USB-C cable.

I’d like to see Kobo introduce direct BorrowBox compatibility soon, as it’s much, much more widely used than Libby in the U.K., where I live.

If you’re in the U.S., though, you’re in luck. Libby is used by 22,000 libraries across the United States, so your local library might just be one of them. In this case, you can select Libby directly in your Clara Colour and browse available ebooks.

As you can see, the app is native to your e-reader itself, so don’t worry about downloading books onto your computer and manually installing onto the Kobo.

Manga, audiobooks, Kobo Unlimited, oh my!

If you’re a manga reader, audiobooks listener, or Kindle Unlimited devourer, don’t worry. Kobo has you covered. You can still get manga on the Kobo Store — and it looks fantastic. The clarity is incredible, and the full color cover is gorgeous.

As you can see, the color cover is beautiful, with no grainy, faded, or blurry areas. This is easily Kindle Colorsoft-equalling, and you save $90 in the process. Despite being on a 6-inch screen, I was able to read all the text on this manga, and I was never struggling to make out smaller words. Of course, you read manga right-to-left, so remember to tap the left side of the screen to change page.

In the Kobo Store, you can also browse tons of audiobooks. You’ve got the big names — think Stephen King, Sarah J. Maas, Terry Pratchett — but also books I’d never heard of by authors I’d never heard of. Of course, you can check Kobo’s ebook and audiobook store online without going through an e-reader.

Finally, if you’re coming from a Kindle, you’re in luck! Kobo also offers Kobo Plus, an unlimited service, where you pay a subscription for unlimited books each month. Kindle Unlimited is $11.99 a month for unlimited books and e-books. Kobo Plus is $7.99 for either just ebooks and just audiobooks, or $9.99 for both.

Kindle offers 5 million books, whereas Kobo offers 1.5 million books — this may or may not be an issue, depending on what kind of reader you are, which I’ll get into now.

Kobo Clara Colour review: The downs

As much as I’m enamored with my Kobo Clara Colour, there’s one thing that might hold me back from recommending it for everyone.

Kindle library is much bigger

Now, this one is a little weird for me. I think it depends on what kind of reader you are. Personally, I mostly read traditionally published books, and all of the books I’ve tried to buy from the Kobo Store have been available.

If you’re the Kindle Unlimited self-published kind of reader, you might be better off sticking to the bigger library. This is not to say that Kobo’s bookstore is lacking or threadbare, but more so that the Kindle bookstore had a wider variety of lesser-known, self-published books.

However, if you’re the kind of person who buys books from Barnes & Noble and your local independent bookstore, you’re probably going to be fine with the Kobo Store. As I said, every book I’ve tried to buy has been available, so this is a total non-issue for me.

Kobo Clara Colour review: Verdict

Would I recommend the Kobo Clara Colour to 99% of the population? Without a shadow of a doubt. I flew through every book I was reading on the Clara Colour because it was so easy to read everywhere — in bed, at the park, on the bus, you name it. The sleep cover also has a magnetic kickstand, so I could prop the Clara Colour up to read hands-free.

All that being said, if you’re predominantly a Kindle Unlimited self-published book lover, you might want to stick with the bigger library. Kindle offers millions of indie books, whereas Kobo offers just one million.

Even so, this is a non-issue for me. Every book I’ve looked up on the Kobo Store has been instantly available. If you’re the same kind of reader, you’ll be just as obsessed with the Kobo Clara Colour as I am.

Amazon is making a slew of older Kindle devices obsolete starting in May. This means that you won't be able to download new books unless you find a workaround or purchase a newer model.

As reported by The Verge (and elsewhere), starting on May 20th, 2026 Kindle e-readers and Kindle Fire tablets released in 2012 and before will "no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content via the Kindle Store."

Any books you already have on those devices will still be accessible. And you can still access your accounts and purchases via the Kindle mobile app, Kindle site and newer models. Additionally, if your older Kindle is factory reset or deregistered, you won't be able to re-register after May 20.

Here's the complete list of Kindle devices losing support going back to the original Kindle, which launched in 2007.

• Kindle 1st Generation (2007)
• Kindle DX (2009)
• Kindle DX Graphite (2010)
• Kindle Keyboard (2010)
• Kindle 4 (2011)
• Kindle Touch (2011)
• Kindle 5 (2012)
• Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation (2012)
• Kindle Fire 1st Gen (2011)
• Kindle Fire 2nd Gen (2012)
• Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012)
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012)

The youngest devices on that list is 14 years old at this point.

According to the report, Amazon will send out emails to impacted Kindle owners before the deadline which will outline what your devices can and cannot do. The pre-2012 Kindle Fire devices won't be able to download new books, but other Amazon services and apps you have shouldn't be updated.

Amazon is offering a 20% discount on new Kindle devices and a $20 ebook credit that will arrive on your account after the upgrade. The credit only lasts a month valid through June 20, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT.

Up until now, Amazon has largely left owners of older Kindles alone, letting them purchase and download ebooks as desired. There was a 2016 software update that maintained access to the Kindle Store.

Before last February, you could have gotten around this restriction by downloading your books on your computer and transferring them using the USB port. However, Amazon killed that function.

What are your options?

If you insist on keeping your older Kindle, especially if it's still working well, you could consider jailbreaking it. I won't tell you how to do it here, but there are ways.

If you want to upgrade, currently, Kindles start at $110 for the entry-level version. The Kindle Paperwhite will set you back $160, while the color-screen Kindle Colorsoft is $250. At the high-end, there is the giant Kindle Scribe writing tablet, which starts at $400 for the non-color version.

If you need help deciding, check out our guide to the best Kindles. We've also included recommendations for some non-Amazon ereaders if you're looking to get out of the Amazon ecosystem.

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If you want to turn your iPad Air into a productivity machine, you’re probably going to need a keyboard case. When I reviewed the iPad Air M4, Apple sent along its Magic Keyboard Case for me to test too, and while it’s a great accessory — I was able to type nearly as fast as my regular keyboard — I couldn’t get over the fact that it costs $269, nearly half as much as the iPad Air itself. And, Apple’s keyboard lacks backlighting, making it much harder to use in darker conditions.

Fortunately, there are dozens of companies who make iPad Air keyboard cases that cost far less than Apple’s, so I rounded up eight models to see which is the best accessory for your tablet. On each, I used the Speed Typer iPad app, and timed myself three times to get an average score for both speed and accuracy.

I rated each on three criteria (design, price and typing speed) on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best), to see which can really turn your iPad into a laptop replacement.

Belkin Pro Keyboard Case with Magnetic Stand

Like Logitech and Zagg, Belkin’s case was one of the more expensive models I tested (but still about $100 less than Apple’s). I liked its soft-touch cover and overall look and feel; at 1 pound 7 ounces, it fell in the middle of the pack weight-wise.

The Belkin case has five rows of keys, so you need to press the function button to access iPad-specific controls. There’s only one color for the backlighting, but you can adjust its brightness via a dedicated button to the left of the arrow keys. The backlighting was nice and even, though not as refined as Logitech’s.

On the typing test, I averaged an excellent 61 words per minute, with a 99 percent accuracy rate — the best among all the cases I tested, Apple included. However, one thing I thought was a plus — the extra large touchpad — proved to be a bit of a detriment, as my hands brushed against it, frequently causing the cursor to jump and open windows by accident. I had to restart the typing test several times because I would inadvertently open another window by mistake.

Price: 1
Design: 7
Typing speed: 10
Total score: 18

Dancesoul Keyboard Case for iPad Air 11 inch

This is one of dozens of no-name Chinese brands selling iPad accessories; while the Amazon listing says “Dancesoul,” the spacebar and enclosed materials are all branded Wiwu. Still, the price is right, the build quality is sturdy, and the exterior of the case has a nice soft-touch finish. Outwardly, this keyboard case most closely mimics Apple’s own case, right down to the oval-shaped hinge and embedded USB-C port.

I also like that there’s a dedicated sixth row of keys for iPad-specific controls. The case is somewhat heavy at 1.2 pounds, but that’s right in the middle. The keyboard backlighting can be switched between seven colors. However, it’s not the brightest. Instead of a dedicated on/off switch, like on some of the other cases I tested, this one turns on automatically when you open the lid. It’s a nice feature to have.

Sadly, I averaged just 50 words per minute, with a 96 percent accuracy rate, the lowest score among the cases I tested.

Price: 7
Design: 5
Typing speed: 1
Total score: 13

ESR for iPad Air 11 Inch Case with Keyboard

ESR’s case has a unique, and really clever feature: the upper portion of its case can be removed from the keyboard section, and rotated to either portrait or landscape mode. The case also has a small slot to store a stylus, another nicety. The detachable section was very light, so it won’t offer the protection of a Zagg case, but won’t get in the way, either.

The exterior of the ESR case has a leather-like feel that’s very close to Apple’s own case, and the keyboard deck itself also has a nice soft-touch finish. At $112, this case fell in the middle of the ones I tested - it was neither the cheapest, nor the most expensive.

The backlit keyboard has five rows of keys; it took me a few minutes to get the feel for the keyboard, but I eventually averaged 61 words per minute with a 98 percent accuracy rate, which tied Belkin for the fastest overall score.

Price: 6
Design: 9
Typing speed: 10
Total score: 25

Logitech Combo touch

At $169, this is one of the most expensive options on the market (though still $100 less than Apple’s own case). Logitech’s case comes in two sections, an upper part that encases the iPad, and the keyboard. The two halves connect magnetically. It’s a neat idea — it’s easy to simply leave the keyboard behind — but it has one main drawback. In order to prop the iPad up, you have to extend a stand out at the back of the case, which takes up a lot more space than the other cases, which have stiff hinges. I couldn’t see myself using this easily on a plane, for instance.

Still, Logitech makes good use of all that room, adding a sixth row of iPad keys and the most spacious touchpad I’ve seen on a keyboard case. It’s even larger than the one on the official Apple case. However, I found that I was more prone to accidentally brushing part of my left hand against it, which made the cursor jump around.

It’s also the only keyboard that has an app - once installed, it updated the keyboard’s firmware. But, unlike Logitech’s gaming keyboards, there’s no customization options, so the app is kind of useless otherwise.

This keyboard has the nicest backlighting of the group — it’s bright and even — but the keys had the least amount of travel of the bunch. I averaged 56 words per minute and 98% accuracy, which was in the middle of the pack.

Price: 1
Design: 8
Typing speed: 5
Total score: 15

RuneLK keyboard

The RuneLK case looks like it came off the same assembly line as Belkin’s model; the two are nearly identical, save for a few minor things like branding and the font on the keys. It has a nice soft-touch exterior and a circular hinge that lets you tilt the iPad back about 130 degrees, similar to the other cases. Unlike others, it only has five rows of keys, so iPad functions, like adjusting the brightness, are part of the number row.

It only has one color backlighting — white — but there’s a dedicated key for adjusting the brightness, which I liked (other keyboards require you to press Function plus another button). The backlighting was nice and bright, too.

On the typing test, I averaged 56 words per minute with a 97 percent accuracy rate, which ranks in the middle of the pack. This case was also one of the heavier models at 1.7 pounds, but didn’t feel too weighty.

Price: 7
Design: 7
Typing speed: 5
Total score: 19

Tolpeiksoy Magnetic Keyboard Case with Stylus Pen for iPad Air 11-inch

Of the keyboard cases I tested, this is the only one that also came with a stylus — though there’s no loop to connect it to the keyboard, a strange oversight. Still, that’s another $80 you won’t have to spend buying the Apple Pencil. And, the company also includes a membrane cover for the keyboard to keep it clean. However, this was also the heaviest case I tested, at 1 pound, 8.7 ounces.

This case has a nice faux-leather type finish on the outside, one of the more pleasing ones I felt. Instead of it being wake-to-open, it has an on/off switch, but there’s no dedicated row of iPad keys - they’re added as functions with the number row.

You can choose between seven colors for the backlighting, but I found it a bit distracting, owing mainly to the fact that the keys were white, so the light bled through; I found that red turned up the best. I only averaged 51 words per minute, with an accuracy rate of 96% — the second-lowest among the cases I tested. Curiously, I had the greatest variation in speeds, going from a low of 43 wpm to a high of 62 wpm.

Price: 3
Design: 5
Typing speed: 2
Total score: 10

typecase Touch Keyboard Case for iPad Air

While all of the keyboard cases I tested let you use your iPad to type, they all require you to remove the iPad if you want to use it as a standalone tablet. Typecase’s unique swivel design lets you rotate the Air in the case and fold it flat against the keyboard, which is pretty clever. And, there's even a holder for a stylus, something you don't get with a lot of these cases.

However, the entire thing is plasticky — it was the cheapest-feeling of the group — and there’s a bit of flex in the keyboard itself. Considering its design, I was expecting this case to weigh the most of the group, but it was about average, tipping the scales at 1.3 pounds.

I like that the keyboard has a separate sixth row for iPad controls. The keyboard’s backlight color can be changed between 11 colors or just a plain white, and you can have it automatically cycle between the colors, as well as adjust the brightness. The backlighting was even and bright, one of the best from the group. Using the Speed Typer test, I averaged 58 words per minute with a 99 percent accuracy rate, which was one of my better performances of the group.

Price: 10
Design: 6
Typing speed: 8
Total score: 24

Zagg Pro Keys Connect

Zagg’s case was the heaviest of the bunch I tested, coming in at 1.7 pounds. However, that’s because Zagg’s case is rated for a 6.6-foot drop protection, so this could be the model for those who are clumsier.

Like the Logitech case, you can detach the keyboard. The two halves connect magnetically, but there’s one extra element to the Zagg case that makes it less convenient: you have to connect a USB-C plug into the iPad itself to power the case. Logitech makes things simpler by using the three metal contact points on the rear of the iPad itself.

Also like Logitech’s case, Zagg’s uses a rear kickstand to prop itself up, which takes up more desk space than the other models in this roundup. I do like, though, that there’s a small clip on the front where you can attach a stylus.

While the backlit keyboard and touchpad are very spacious, the keys themselves felt small and too smooth for my liking; my fingers often slipped, and as a result, I got a fairly middling score on the typing test, averaging 53 words per minute with a 96% accuracy rate.

Price: 2
Design: 6
Typing speed: 5
Total score: 13

Scorecard

Bottom line

Overall, the ESR case was my favorite among the iPad Air cases I tested, scoring 25 out of a possible 30 points. While it wasn’t the least expensive model, nor was it the priciest, and I liked the fact that it not only had a slot for a stylus, but also let me use the Air in both landscape and portrait mode.

If you’re looking for a budget model, the typecase tied the ESR for overall points; its design isn’t as refined, but it was still reasonably light, and let me swivel the tablet around a full 360 degrees. And, I notched my second-highest typing score. The fact that it costs less than $70 makes it even more appealing.

If you’re looking for durability, Zagg’s is the best option, though I wasn’t enamored with the design of its keys, nor how the iPad connected to the case itself.

While the iPad Air might not be the cheap productivity machine that is the MacBook Neo, you can still use it to get work done — and you don’t have to pay Apple’s prices to do so.

I’ve owned an iPad since 2022, and I’ll be honest, I haven’t gotten much use out of it — until recently. I just tested the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL that has turned my iPad into a gaming powerhouse and, honestly, has breathed new life into it. The Kishi V3 Pro XL is a powerful mobile gaming controller with fantastic TMR thumbsticks, four extra buttons, and clicky triggers, all packed into an ergonomic body.

Featuring full-sized triggers and thumbsticks as well as passthrough charging, this is the only controller you need if you’re a fan of on-the-go gaming. But is it perfect? Sadly not quite. The lack of rumble and haptics on Apple devices will make its premium price tag very difficult to stomach for iOS/iPadOS users.

To find out if this is the best mobile game controller for you, read my full Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review.

Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review: Specs

Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A gaming controller for iPads and USB-C tablets
• Who is it for? Anyone who enjoys gaming on the go and wants a comfortable controller
• How much does it cost? The Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is available for $199 / £164
• What do we like? The ergonomic design, TMR thumbsticks, passthrough charging, and compatibility with many tablets
• What don’t we like? No rumble or haptics on iOS/iPadOS and the premium price tag

Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review: The ups

From its ergonomic design and passthrough charging, to its powerful TMR thumbsticks and clicky triggers, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is an absolute must-have accessory for iPad owners.

Extremely comfortable and ergonomic

I’ve tested and used my fair share of mobile and tablet gaming controllers. Some have been good; some have been bad; and a few have been peerless in the comfort department. The Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL falls into the third category as it’s one of the comfiest controllers I’ve used — despite its big footprint.

The Kishi V3 Pro XL’s plate where the tablet sits measures 12.91 x 4.36 x 2.54 inches when the controller is outstretched, enabling it to accommodate a 13-inch iPad Pro. Even so, it doesn’t feel unwieldy to handle. It weighs 10.97oz without a tablet inserted, and with my iPad Air 10.9-inch slotted in, the controller weighs 1.73lbs, and I haven’t found it too heavy to hold. Having used the controller for a six-hour straight gaming stint, my hands didn’t feel fatigued or like they were cramping from the controller’s design.

This is also partly due to the ergonomic, chunky grips which feel similar to the ones you’ll find on the likes of the Xbox Elite Wireless 2 ($179). In fact, the Kishi V3 Pro XL feels like what you’d get if you sliced a Razer Wolverine V3 Pro ($199) down the middle and slotted a tablet in between the two grips. That itself speaks volumes about the Kishi V3 Pro XL as the Wolverine V3 Pro is undoubtedly the best premium PC game controller on the market.

I love the full-sized thumbsticks and triggers too which, again, feel like the ones on the Wolverine V3 Pro. I’m a big fan of offset thumbsticks as they feel more ergonomic to me (and something I always miss on my PlayStation DualSense). All in all, the Kishi V3 Pro XL is an excellent, ergonomic controller designed for all-day play.

Compatible with many tablets

If you already own an iPad or an Android tablet, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is the right choice for you. It’s compatible with the iPad Pro (11 and 13 inches), the iPad Air (11 and 13 inches), the standard iPad (10.9 inches), and USB-C Android tablets. You can connect it to your PC too, thanks to the included cable, and use it as a regular gamepad.

Included in the box are two sets of rubber bumpers for adjusting the controller to your device size, alongside two swappable thumbstick caps (one tall concave and one short convex). I found the rubber bumpers super easy to replace, and I’d recommend trying out the different sizes to ensure that your tablet fits snugly.

Powerful TMR sticks

The Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL boasts outstanding gaming performance, thanks to its TMR thumbsticks, mouse-like analog triggers, high polling rate, and more. I tested the controller with my iPad 10.9-inch, as I mentioned earlier, and played my favorite PS5 games via the PS Remote Play app. First, its polling rate can be set to either 1,000Hz or 4,000Hz, adjustable via the Razer Nexus companion app. Having tested both, I didn’t experience any latency issues or input lag.

Next, the TMR thumbsticks. Tunnel Magneto Resistance (TMR) sensors are superior to Hall Effect ones (which are also great in their own right), as they use weak electromagnetic waves rather than strong ones. This means that smaller adjustments and minute movements are picked up by the sensors, and the boost to accuracy in racing and FPS titles is certainly noticeable.

I tested this out by playing Need for Speed Heat, and I instantly noticed the performance difference between playing the game on my DualSense versus the Kishi V3 Pro XL. Thanks to the latter’s TMR sticks, I was able to not only maintain a straight line while driving, I could also go right up to the rear bumper of the car ahead of me and overtake right before making contact. This gave me a bit of a competitive advantage. I found the thumbsticks very comfortable too (I used the short convex caps), and thanks to how responsive they were, I was able to easily navigate down the winding mountain roads and turn tight corners.

I also appreciated being able to make minute adjustments in FPS titles, such as Cyberpunk 2077. With my sniper rifle pointed at a group of NPCs in the distance, I could move the right stick ever so slightly to choose the correct target, even though several of them were standing close together. It made me feel like I was in a James Bond movie, to be honest.

Mouse-like triggers and face buttons

Another thing I absolutely adore on the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is how the triggers and face buttons feel. The controller features analog triggers so while they aren’t as customizable as Hall Effect ones on the likes of the GameSir G8 Plus ($99), I’d be lying if I said they didn’t feel darn good to play with.

The triggers, along with the face buttons, two extra shoulder buttons and back buttons, feel mouse-like to press, similar to the ones on the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. They’re extremely responsive and straight out of the box, they didn’t feel stiff at all. I jumped right into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to try them out. Each button and trigger press was instantaneously registered, and I appreciated the tactile feedback I got as well. I also found it handy that I didn’t need to press the buttons or triggers too hard for my commands to register. I was able to execute perfectly timed parries and dodges in Expedition 33, which helped me win crucial boss battles.

Drifting and braking in Need for Speed Heat was a walk in the park thanks to the triggers as well. They’re full-size which means that there’s plenty of room for your fingers to sit atop the longer R2 and L2 triggers. Again, I didn’t find it fatiguing to hold down L2 in drift challenges. I also appreciate the addition of four extra clicky buttons (two on top, two around the back). I remapped the M1 button on the back as the nitro (N2O) button so all I had to do was use my right middle finger to toggle it when I needed a speed boost, which freed up my thumb to remain on the right thumbstick.

User-friendly companion app

As I alluded to before, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is accompanied by the Razer Nexus app which is free to download on iOS, iPadOS and Android. Razer Nexus sports a clean user interface and is your one-stop shop for all the games installed on your device, and for launching apps like PS Remote Play, Steam Link, and even emulators. It’s easy to navigate and there are no intrusive pop-ups that deter from the experience.

Razer Nexus is also your hub for customizing the Kishi V3 Pro XL. Within the app — which can be quickly accessed by hitting the Nexus button located under the right thumbstick — you can customize the four extra buttons, remap the others, adjust the TMR sticks’ deadzone, swap between analog and digital triggers, and adjust the controller’s polling rate. Simple enough to do, and thanks to native compatibility, you can even adjust a few of these settings from the iPad’s Settings menu too.

Passthrough charging

Last but certainly not least, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL features passthrough charging. It’s important to note that the controller doesn’t feature a built-in battery and is instead powered by your tablet, so passthrough charging is a must. This basically means that you can charge your iPad or Android tablet while it’s slotted into the Kishi V3 Pro XL. The USB-C port is located on the right grip.

Passthrough charging has quickly become a non-negotiable for me, and I hate it when a controller doesn’t feature it — the GameSir G8 Plus and the Scuf Nomad ($99), for instance. It’s also something we’ve seen on the Backbone Pro ($169) and the GameSir X5 Lite ($34) and, in all honesty, if Razer didn’t include passthrough charging at this price (more on that shortly) I would’ve been flabbergasted.

Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review: The downs

Alas, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL isn’t perfect. There’s no rumble or haptics on Apple devices, and the price tag is a little difficult to stomach.

No rumble or haptics on Apple devices

One of the most disappointing things about the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL, and perhaps a dealbreaker for some, is the fact that its rumble and haptics don’t work on iOS and iPadOS devices. You’d best believe it when I say that I let out the biggest sigh possible when I plugged in my iPad and there was no rumble in the games I played. Razer does state this on the official product page, but in small print that might get missed by most people as it’s accompanied by bold letters stating “Next-Gen Tactile Feedback” and “RAZER SENSA HD HAPTICS” in all caps.

This is a limitation confined to iOS and iPadOS (as the rumble works with Android tablets), but Apple added rumble support on iPadOS 15, so Razer isn’t off the hook here.

Even if it were an issue stemming from iPadOS or the PS Remote Play app, it would’ve been nice to have the incompatibility warning a little more prominent. I’ve seen many people complain about the lack of haptics on iPadOS on r/razerkishi and r/razer subreddits, and many have stated that they’ve ended up returning their Kishi V3 Pro XLs for this reason. I won’t lie, it’s certainly disappointing especially given that the controller is advertised as one designed for iPads.

But I’d also like to note that rumble and haptics aren’t found on that many mobile controllers. These are missing from the GameSir G8 Plus and the Backbone Pro, for instance, and are a limitation of iOS and iPadOS. I really can’t think of any other iPad controller that does feature haptics. This is a major pre-purchase consideration for you to chew over, and the only drawback of using the Kishi V3 Pro XL and other controllers with an iPhone or iPad. In the meantime, I’ve reached out to a Razer representative to get a clearer picture and understanding.

Costs a premium

While the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is an excellent iPad controller, there’s no sugarcoating the fact that it’s quite expensive. It retails for $199 / £164 at Amazon, making it the most expensive mobile controller I’ve tested so far (at the time of writing). This makes the Kishi V3 Pro XL as expensive as the PlayStation Portal ($199). The standard, smaller Kishi V3 Pro model designed for smartphones is a little cheaper at $149, but is the $50 price difference justified, especially when rivals like the GameSir G8 Plus ($99) are available for far less?

But the Kishi V3 Pro XL doesn’t have many other competitors. Most other controllers compatible with the iPad take the shape and form of your regular gamepad, like the PlayStation DualSense (which works just fine with the iPad). The biggest difference is, of course, the fact that you need to prop your iPad up on a table to use a standard gamepad, which you don’t need to do with the Kishi V3 Pro XL. It is, then, perhaps justified that the controller costs so much, but the fact that rumble and haptics don’t work as intended leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review: Verdict

Razer knows how to make a good gaming peripheral, and the Kishi V3 Pro XL is one of the best iPad accessories you can buy today, especially if you’re a gamer. The controller is ergonomically designed with full-size thumbsticks and triggers, making it perfect for all-day gaming. Passthrough charging also means that you don’t have to worry about your tablet running out of charge mid-gaming.

I love the TMR thumbsticks and mouse-like analog triggers and extra buttons. They’re all highly responsive in FPS, racing and RPG titles, and they can be customized via the user-friendly app too. But is all of this worth nearly $200, especially when there’s no haptics or rumble on Apple devices? Kinda. The Kishi V3 Pro XL has carved out a niche for itself, and if it’s an ergonomic iPad mobile game controller you need, it’s really the only one to get.

Apple announced a bunch of incredible new hardware at the start of the year, including the iPad Air M4 and the $599 MacBook Neo. But there was one rumored device that never made an appearance — the entry-level iPad 12. Those of you eagerly anticipating a new version of Apple's cheapest tablet are in luck; it sounds like it's still on the way.

We know that thanks to accessory-maker ESR Tech, which posted a listing for an iPad-12 compatible screen protector (via GSMArena). The listing has since been removed, but it specifically referred to the tablet as the iPad 11" (A18) 2026, so it's absolutely clear which version of the device this screen protector was for. The iPad 11 was released last year and was powered by the A16 chipset, for reference.

The listing did confirm that the new model has the same dimensions as the iPad 11, so you'd be forgiven for not being able to tell the difference between the two. However, apparent confirmation that the tablet will feature an A18 chip is going to dampen all the rumors suggesting the iPad 12 would have an A19 chip.

There's not a whole lot more the listing can tell us, but the fact that this page has gone up — even accidentally — might suggest that the iPad 12 launch isn't very far away. The only question is when? Mark Gurman at Bloomberg claims that the tablet is "coming soon" and could launch alongside the iPad mini 8. Sadly, this vague release window doesn't tell us much about when to expect either device.

Since the iPad 12 isn't a product that's high-profile enough to warrant a dedicated Apple event, it means the tablet could literally drop at any time. We're just going to have to be patient and see what happens, and whether Apple will deliver either tablet before WWDC 2026 in June.

There's not a whole lot we know about the iPad 12 right now, other than the fact that it might be the first entry-level iPad to support Apple Intelligence. That would mean an increased amount of RAM, since Apple's AI features require at least 8GB of memory to function.

We probably shouldn't expect a lot, though. Entry-level iPads are usually pretty barebones compared to the best iPads, including iPad Air and iPad Pro, offering far fewer opportunities for upgrades. Though, as the proud owner of an iPad 10, I would love it if Apple could add a glare-resistant screen and higher brightness in a future model. Trying to use my tablet in a bright place is nearly impossible.

More from Tom's Guide

• 'I am not a fan of AI' — Apple's Steve Wozniak is unimpressed and thinks it can't replace humans
• Future iPhones could pack a 200MP camera — here's what that means for you
• This Apple Music feature is my favorite upgrade in iOS 26.4 — here’s why

Whenever Apple announces new devices it means that some older ones get discontinued. Last week, Apple revealed a slew of new products including the intriguing MacBook Neo, budget-friendly iPhone 17e and more powerful MacBook Pro M5 Pro/Max laptops.

As part of streamlining the devices it sells, the company discontinued 15 existing devices. Surprisingly, not every device is years old. The oldest was released in 2019, while the most recent only debuted six months ago.

Here's the list of 15 discontinued products:

• iPhone 16e with A18 (2025)
• 11-inch iPad Air with M3 (2025)
• 13-inch iPad Air with M3 (2025)
• 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 (2025)
• 15-inch MacBook Air with M4 (2025)
• 13-inch MacBook Pro with M5 and 512GB storage (2025)
• 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro (2024)
• 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro (2024)
• 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Max (2024)
• 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Max (2024)
• Mac Studio with M3 Ultra and 512GB memory (2025)
• Studio Display with A13 Bionic (2022)
• Pro Display XDR (2019)
• Pro Stand for Pro Display XDR (2019)
• Pro Display XDR VESA Mount Adapter (2019)

For the most part, the Apple is just swapping one product for its updated version. The iPhone 16e gets the boot for the 17e. The M3 iPad Air has been replaced by the M4 version, the same for the M4 MacBook Air models which have been replaced with M5 MacBook Airs.

The surprising discontinuation is the 512GB MacBook Pro M5, which was announced in October 2025 for $1,599. Instead, the new base model features 1TB of internal storage, and costs $1,699.

It's unclear if this related to the ongoing memory crisis that is reducing storage and RAM options for many companies.

Finally, we have the two oldest devices: the original Studio Display from 2022 and the Pro Display XDR (released in 2019), which were replaced by the new Studio Display XDR and an updated base version.

What does discontinued mean for your devices?

Unlike Apple's vintage or obsolete devices, discontinuation just means the company no longer sells these products through official channels. However, they are still eligible for software updates, repairs and support for at least five to seven years after their initial release date.

Apple typically places devices on its vintage list around five years after the company stops selling them. At that point, they're unlikely to get software updates, and repairs will only be available as long as parts are available. So if you own any of these discontinued products, you still have some time before you need to consider an upgrade.

More from Tom's Guide

• I love my MacBook Air, but anyone buying the M5 should absolutely add one of these must-have accessories to their shopping basket
• Apple March event — MacBook Neo reactions, iPhone 17e and all the new products
• Apple buried these 3 genuinely useful iPhone features — here's how to find them

If it ain’t broke, why fix it? Like many other 2026 releases (see the iPhone 17e and Google Pixel 10a), this year’s update to the iPad Air is largely iterative. Apple has updated the processor to an M4 chip, and it has upgraded its wireless chip to Wi-Fi 7, but everything else is pretty much the same: same cameras, same design, same display, even the same battery life.

In fact, a lot of the iPad Air’s specs are nearly the same as the iPad Air 4, which came out six years ago. It has the same resolution display, has the same dimensions, the same rear camera, and weighs just as much. However, Apple has kept its starting price the same for all that time, and increased the starting storage capacity to 128GB (along with some other improvements).

All that being said, is this still the best tablet for most people? I would say yes, but is this the best Apple device for $599? That’s another question entirely.

What’s new

Two things have changed between this year’s model and last. The 2026 iPad Air is now powered by Apple’s M4 processor. The tablet also has Apple’s new networking chips: The N1, which has Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread networking; and on models with cellular connectivity, the C1X, which delivers 5G (sub‑6 GHz) with 4x4 MIMO and Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO.

Obviously, network connectivity will vary greatly on a number of factors, but on Verizon’s 5G network with four bars of service, I was able to download a 2.98GB video file in 1 minute and 25 seconds.

How much does it cost?

The iPad Air M4 is available for preorder, and goes on sale on March 11, 2026. The base model 11-inch iPad Air costs $599 and comes with 128GB of storage. The starting price for the 13-inch Air is $799, also with 128GB of storage. Both models can be configured with up to 1TB of disk space, and you can get them in one of four colors: space gray, blue, purple, and starlight.

If you want cellular connectivity, add an extra $150 to each of these prices.

Apple sent us an 11-inch Air with 1TB of storage and cellular connectivity, which boosts the price to $1,249. At that point, I would advise springing for a laptop or an iPad Pro.

Then of course, there’s the accessories. An Apple Pencil will set you back $79, while the Apple Pencil Pro costs $129. The Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air costs $269. At least you get free engraving.

What I like

Classic — if aging — design

I wouldn't go so far to say that the Air's design has calcified, but if you go back several generations, you'll see little has changed from year to year. The M4 Air has the same design as the Air Apple released back in 2020. To be sure, it's a great look — thin, light, and a nice slim bezel all the way around.

Despite the “Air” moniker, there’s not much difference in weight or thickness between this and the regular iPad. The Air measures 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches and weighs 1.02 pounds, while the 11-inch iPad measures 9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches and weighs 1.05 pounds. Ironically, the 11-inch iPad Pro is the lightest and thinnest of the lot, at 0.98 pounds and 0.21 inches. It does have a larger footprint of 9.88 x 6.99 inches, though.

Still, this is a very comfortable tablet to hold for extended periods of time.

Beautiful Display

Watching movies, TV shows, and YouTube clips on the Air’s display was a delight. Like last year’s version, the M4 iPad Air has a bright, crisp, and colorful Retina screen that made everything just pop. For example, when I watched “K Pop Demon Hunters” on Netflix, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey all looked, well, golden on the display.

It’s exactly the same, with a resolution of 2360 x 1640, and a rated brightness of 500 nits. In our lab tests, we measured a top brightness of 489 nits (also nearly the same as last year), which is pretty close.

On our other display tests, the Air’s screen was able to display 116% of the sRGB color gamut, and 82.3% of the DCI-P3 gamut (more is better). It’s Delta-E score of 0.28 (where numbers closer to 0 are better) also show that the colors it displays are very close to accurate.

Interestingly, the Air’s results are nearly identical to those of the iPad Pro M5, which has an OLED display.

Multitasking prowess

It’s not quite a desktop experience, but it’s close. One of the new features of iPadOS 26 is the ability to have multiple apps open in resizable windows, which you can move about the screen.

While the 11-inch iPad Air I tested is a bit small for true multitasking, it was nice to be able to make multiple apps open side-by-side, and to be able to move and resize each window as I liked.

Now powered by an M4 chip, the iPad Air is modestly faster than last year’s iPad Air M3. On our benchmark tests, it scored appreciably faster, both in single- and multicore, as well as in frame rate tests. The most notable difference you’ll see is if you go back a couple of generations; the M4 iPad scored nearly two times higher than the M1 Air on our Geekbench test.

Are you going to notice the difference in everyday use? Probably not, unless you’re planning to do some pretty intense video editing, but if that’s your plan, the more powerful iPad Pro might be more your speed.

Good cameras

Both the front and rear cameras on the iPad Air have a resolution of 12MP, though the front-facing camera has a much wider field of view, so as to take advantage of Center Stage, which can automatically track and frame you during FaceTime calls. It’s a handy feature to have, especially if you’re trying to cram several people into the shot. The rear camera lets you choose from a regular shot, square, or panorama. There’s no Portrait mode, however.

Photos from both cameras were pleasing, but not spectacular. The front camera did a good job of keeping my face properly exposed, even with a bright light source behind my head. The rear camera also adequately pulled up the details and colors of a shelf full of books, though, as with any photo, zooming in too far quickly resulted in a loss of definition. However, pictures from both cameras exhibited a good deal of graininess at full size.

What I didn't like

No FaceID

You can unlock the iPad Air using TouchID on its power button, but just like last year, Apple has reserved FaceID for its iPad Pro models. It’s a small annoyance, but doesn’t feel like this is so much of a premium feature as to limit it to the company’s highest-end tablets.

Pricey accessories

I used the Magic Folio Keyboard to type parts of this review, and while it’s a little cramped compared to a laptop’s keyboard, the keys were plenty snappy and responsive, and within minutes I was typing at or near my regular rate. The touchpad was also very accurate, and I never had an instance where my cursor ended up where it shouldn’t have been. For the price, though, I wish the keys were backlit. And, $269 is a lot to ask, especially when you can find compatible third-party options for half as much.

Battery life is exactly the same — and less than its predecessors

I get that the Air delivers better performance per watt than the previous model, but I would have liked just a little more endurance. To be sure, its battery life of 9 hours and 44 minutes, as tested, is great for an 11-inch tablet, but a touch more wouldn’t hurt, especially considering the M1 and the iPad 4 were both able to break the 10-hour mark on our tests.

Bottom line

The M4 iPad Air is a modest upgrade over last year’s model, but when you make one of the best tablets there is, and there’s no real challenger, then maybe each new year doesn’t need to see a completely new reinvention.

If you have an older iPad — say, from the M1 generation or before — and you see its battery life taking a big hit, then you might want to consider an upgrade, though that model also supports iPadOS 26. The M4 Air also has a Center Stage camera, which the M1 series lacks.

The question I suspect many will have is whether they should buy the iPad Air or spring for the Macbook Neo, which is $250 less when you factor in the cost of the Air’s keyboard. While the Air has a touchscreen and is more portable, its value proposition when compared to Apple’s laptops is now a lot more questionable if you’re looking for an inexpensive productivity device.

Yes, the iPad Air is the best Apple tablet for the masses, but it may have just been superseded by the Neo as the best cheap Apple product for getting stuff done.

The MacBook Neo proves that MacBooks don’t have to be expensive. Starting at $599, it instantly becomes the most affordable MacBook available. Thanks to that and its fun color options, it’s a machine that should appeal to students or anyone on a budget.

Interestingly enough, Apple already (effectively) sells a $599 device that can moonlight as a laptop. What device is that? None other than the 11-inch iPad (11th generation). Pair this $349 128GB model with the $249 Magic Keyboard Folio, and you have a package that’s a buck cheaper than the Neo.

If you have $600 to spend, you could be eyeing these machines and wondering which one to get. One is a legitimate laptop, while the other is a tablet that can role-play as one. As someone who tests the best iPads and the best MacBooks for Tom’s Guide, I can tell you this isn’t exactly a one-to-one match, though the temptation to compare them is understandable.

I’ll break down the key differences between the MacBook Neo and the iPad 11 to see which one is truly the better value.

MacBook Neo vs. iPad 11: Specs

MacBook Neo vs. iPad 11: A18 Pro vs. A16 Bionic

While both the A18 Pro and A16 Bionic are mobile chips built for the best iPhones, they’re from different generations. The iPad 11 packs the A16 Bionic chip from 2022, which is still capable but a couple of generations behind. Meanwhile, the MacBook Neo rocks the A18 Pro chip, the same processor that debuted in the 2024 iPhone 16 Pro.

In benchmarks and real-world experience, the A18 Pro’s 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU deliver snappier multitasking, faster app launches, and better efficiency. And since this is a newer processor, the Neo is more future-proof than the iPad 11, especially when it comes to handling light video editing and heavier web browsing.

MacBook Neo vs. iPad 11: RAM and AI capabilities

Though we’re not exactly thrilled that the MacBook Neo starts (and tops out) at 8GB of RAM, that’s still more than the iPad 11’s 6GB.

That extra 2GB might not sound like much, but it allows the Neo to support macOS’ Apple Intelligence features, like Writing Tools and Genmoji, that the iPad 11 can’t run locally (having to offload them to the cloud or skip them entirely). If you care about on-device AI, the Neo is more capable.

Of course, having more RAM also means more efficient multitasking on the Neo vs. the iPad 11. You likely won’t be able to have 50 Chrome tabs open without some slowdown on the Neo, but you’ll have more headroom when running multiple apps.

MacBook Neo vs. iPad 11: Storage

You get more storage out of the box with the MacBook Neo, thanks to its 256GB SSD. That’s twice as much as the iPad 11’s starting 128GB.

Of course, you can bump the iPad 11’s storage to 256GB or higher, but it’ll cost you more and negate the price parity with the MacBook Neo. If you want more room for apps, files, and media without paying extra, the Neo has a head start.

MacBook Neo vs. iPad 11: Battery life

Apple says the MacBook Neo lasts up to 16 hours for web browsing or video playback. That’s six hours more than the iPad 11’s rated 10 hours for similar tasks.

To be fair, we’ve yet to put the MacBook Neo through our Tom’s Guide battery test to see how close it gets to Apple’s claims. But considering the MacBook Neo has a 36.5Wh battery compared to the iPad 11’s 28.93Wh battery, it’s a safe bet that the Neo has better overall endurance.

MacBook Neo vs. iPad 11: Ports

The MacBook Neo offers more connectivity options. It has two USB-C ports, one with high-speed USB 3 (up to 5Gbps for fast file transfers from SSDs or drives), plus a headphone jack. The iPad? Just one USB-C port stuck at USB 2.0 speeds (around 480Mbps). If you’re transferring large files on the iPad, you’d better be doing something else to pass the time.

I should note that the Neo’s other USB-C port is USB 2.0, like the iPad's. This could be the only port you have available if you’re using the faster one to charge the laptop, as it doesn’t feature a MagSafe port. Still, having two USB-C ports, even if one is slower, is better than just one slow port.

MacBook Neo vs. iPad 11: Display and design

While both the MacBook Neo and iPad 11 sport Liquid Retina displays, the Neo’s 13-inch screen gives you more real estate for work. If you’re working with multiple apps, that extra space will be appreciated.

The major advantage the iPad 11 has here is its touch display, which is a feature not even premium machines like the MacBook Pro M5 support. That said, when paired with the Folio, the iPad 11 becomes bulkier than the Neo’s slim, integrated clamshell design.

This last point might seem obvious, but you don’t have to go through hoops to make the MacBook Neo function like a laptop since it’s, well, a real laptop. The trackpad and keyboard come built-in, no peripherals required.

MacBook Neo vs. iPad 11: Software

Here’s where the MacBook Neo has the clearest advantage over the iPad 11: software and overall productivity.

The MacBook Neo runs on macOS 26, which is a proper desktop operating system with native window management and a robust file system. It can also handle dozens of tabs and supports apps like Final Cut Pro, Slack, Spotify, and many more.

In fairness to iPadOS 26, it’s a far more capable operating system for productivity than prior versions have been. This is especially true thanks to resizable windows, better file management, and a more Mac-like interface. That said, the OS is still a touch-first experience and isn’t as robust as macOS.

MacBook Neo vs. iPad 11: Which one to buy?

If you’re looking for a $600 device that’s suitable for work and play, the MacBook Neo is the clear choice here. You get a decent amount of storage, a powerful processor that can handle AI tasks, longer battery life, more ports, and a proper desktop OS. And that’s all without expensive add-ons.

However, the iPad 11 could be the ideal machine if you’re looking for the versatility of a tablet. After all, you can’t draw on a MacBook’s display or hold it like a book when reading your favorite novel or comic book. Effectively having two machines in one is a selling point, even if you have to pay extra for a laptop-like experience. For everyday computing, though, the Neo is the machine to get.

More from Tom's Guide

• The $599 MacBook Neo is real! Where to preorder
• MacBook Neo hands-on: This is a game changer
• The touchscreen MacBook Pro OLED is coming with a 'new interface'

The iPad Air M4 might not have been released yet, but it looks like the first set of performance benchmark results have already appeared online. Or at least, Geekbench has published two sets of results that list an iPad identifier of iPad 16,11, We can't actually verify the legitimacy of the results until we get a chance to test the tablet for ourselves.

MacRumors spotted the results, and both sets list the identifier that seems to correspond to the 13-inch iPad Air M4 with Wi-Fi and Cellular connectivity. According to the results, the first test saw the tablet score 3,483 in a single-core test and 12,885 in the multi-core test. The second test recorded 3,714 and 12,296, respectively.

For reference, testing for our iPad Air M3 saw the tablet hit 3,042 in single-core Geekbench testing and 11,804 in the multi-core test. So if these M4 scores are the real deal, then we're looking at a pretty reasonable improvement in performance.

That is a 14.5% and 9.1% in crease for the first set of results, and 22% and 4.1% increase for the second set. Which is a fairly impressive improvement for single-core benchmarking, even if the multi-core scores haven't risen quite as much.

It's always worth remembering that even if these are legitimate iPad Air M4 benchmark tests, there's no telling how things might change once the tablets actually go on sale. Once we reach March 11 and the Air M4 goes on sale, we're likely to see a lot more benchmark test results hit the web.

That should give us a better idea of how much better the iPad Air M4's performance actually is compared to its predecessor. Not to mention the fact that we can test plenty of other things like battery life, graphical performance and even display quality. Only then can we decide whether it's worthy for inclusion on our list of the best tablets. It's looking good so far, I'll admit.

Stay tuned to Tom's Guide for our full iPad Air M4 review in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, make sure to check out our Apple March event live blog for a rundown of all the biggest announcements of the week.

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Apple is holding a series of product reveals this week, but one that many have had their eye on is the reveal of fresh MacBook Pro models featuring the new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.

While touchscreen Macs are reportedly on their way, this announcement is an update of what the 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 model kicked off last year. We get a similar chassis, but a much more powerful chip, along with other refinements.

Should you upgrade from an M4 Pro or Max model? Here's what we know to help you decide.

MacBook Pro M4 Pro/Max vs MacBook Pro M5 Pro/Max: Specs

MacBook Pro M5 Pro/Max vs MacBook Pro M4 Pro/Max: Price

The MacBook Pro M5 Pro starts at $2199. Meanwhile, the 16-inch M5 Pro now starts at $2,699. In short, both models cost $200 more than their respective predecessors' starting prices.

The base M5 model isn't available for the 16-inch form factor, so that one starts at $2699 with the M5 Pro, 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Apple is no longer selling the M4 Pro/Max models of these laptops.

Apple is justifying these hikes by doubling the base storage. You can no longer get a Pro MacBook with 512GB; everything now starts at 1TB for the Pro and 2TB for the Max. If you were already planning to upgrade your storage on the M4, the price jump is essentially a wash, but it raises the barrier to entry.

MacBook Pro M5 Pro/Max vs MacBook Pro M4 Pro/Max: Design and display

This year's model certainly looks familiar because it carries the same design that debuted in 2021 with the M1 Pro models of the MacBook Pro.

It might be getting a little long in the tooth, but Apple seems committed to the current design at least until touchscreen Macs arrive.

That means you get a 14-inch or 16-inch model, with both packing the Liquid Retina XDR display for high resolution and high contrast, as well as ProMotion for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, which is ideal for gaming or smoother scrolling.

As with the base 14-inch MacBook Pro M5, you can upgrade to a nano-texture glass display, which does an excellent job of reducing screen glare. Just be aware that this upgrade costs an extra $150.

MacBook Pro M5 Pro/Max vs MacBook Pro M4 Pro/Max: Performance

The new laptops feature the equally new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Apple says these chips leverage the company's new Fusion Architecture to scale the capabilities of Apple silicon, while preserving performance, power efficiency, and unified memory architecture.

As for real-world numbers, the M5 Pro has 20 percent increased graphical performance over the M4 Pro model, according to Apple. The company also says the improved CPU boosts performance by 30 percent.

Thanks to the new Fusion Architecture that connects two dies on a single SoC (system on a chip), the CPU is an 18-core beast with 6 'super cores' from the M5 and 12 performance cores. The 16-core Neural Engine is faster for AI features, too, and there are Thunderbolt 5 ports for connectivity, along with support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

Speaking of new chips, the M5 Pro and M5 Max now have the Apple N1 chip, bringing Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 to Apple’s most powerful laptops. Thunderbolt 5 is also now standard on all Pro and Max models, which is a major win for anyone using high-speed external storage or multiple 6K displays.

MacBook Pro M5 Pro/Max vs MacBook Pro M4 Pro/Max: Outlook

The MacBook Pro lineup might just be the best it has ever been right now, but you likely don't need to rush out and upgrade from an M4 Pro or Max model unless you're, well, really running up against the considerable headroom both provide.

For just about anything else, you probably won't notice major differences day to day. But if you're buying a MacBook Pro today and need it to handle heavy workloads, be sure you're opting for the new model.

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Apple's March event is off to a big start, as the company just announced the all-new iPad Air M4. Clearly, the star of the show here is the speedy performance from the M4 chip, but that's not the only upgrade coming to Apple's popular tablet.

The iPad Air M4 upgrade is set to deliver faster CPU and GPU speeds, so expect greater performance for editing, gaming and creative work. With the iPad Air M3 already being one of the best tablets around, this takes Apple's popular tablet a step further — all for the same $599 starting price.

As expected, the new iPad Air isn't a major revamp, as it's more of a spec bump. So, what else is new? As it turns out, there are a few more changes that make Apple's latest Air model even better value than its predecessor. Here are the biggest upgrades you can expect.

M4 delivers even faster performance

Let's start with the main attraction: M4. We've seen this chip in action in the iPad Pro M4, and we've been blown away by the performance it offers, especially for the price.

Now, the M4 comes to the iPad Air, with Apple claiming a 30% speed boost over the iPad Air M3. This means you're getting the might of the M4-equipped MacBook Air in the form of a tablet, and also for a much more affordable price of $599.

The M4 chip in the new iPad comes with an 8-core CPU (with three performance cores and five efficiency cores), a 9-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. That's actually the same as the M3, although that comes with four performance and efficiency cores.

We'll have to test the iPad Air M4 once we get our hands on it, but here's a look at the performance gains we can expect over the iPad Air M3, comparing it to our Geekbench benchmarks on the iPad Pro M4 and MacBook Air M4:

Now, the MacBook Air M3 understandably offers slightly better performance than its iPad counterpart (3,082 single-core / 12,087 multi-core), so there's a tiny difference between tablet and laptop. But either way, there's a significant bump in speeds. In fact, you can think of the iPad Air M4 as a more affordable version of the iPad Pro M4 (just without an OLED option).

From video editing and gaming to browsing the web, the iPad Air M4 is already looking to be quite the upgrade. Plus, M4 delivers higher memory bandwidth at 120GB/s, so it's faster at reading and writing data from RAM. Speaking of...

More memory!

Despite the RAM crisis, Apple managed to deliver even more unified memory into the latest iPad Air M4. More RAM means improved multitasking, better performance in demanding creative work or 3D modelling (and gaming, of course) and more apps staying open in the background without needing to reload.

Apple's next tablet is fitted with 12GB of memory, a 50% jump over the M3 iPad Air's 8GB. In fact, that's the same as the base iPad Pro M5, and with that being the most powerful tablet on the market, that only shows just how much the new iPad Air is catching up.

With the increase in RAM, expect multitasking to run even more smoothly. This will come in handy with iPadOS 26's windowing system, which lets you work with multiple app windows at once.

So, an overall faster experience to keep up with M4's performance!

Wi-Fi 7 arrives

Apple has its own wireless networking chip and cellular modem now, with the N1 and C1X, respectively. We got a look at the N1 silicon in the iPhone 17 series, along with the C1X 5G modem in the iPhone Air. Now, it arrives on the iPad Air M4.

With N1, Apple's tablets finally get Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, bringing faster and more efficient speeds, along with significantly lower latency. That makes it better for Apple's own AirDrop, and casting your own personal hotspot, too. We've heard Apple's N1 delivers faster speeds on weaker Wi-Fi, so that's a bonus if you're using the iPad Air M4 while you're out and about!

For those who opt for the cellular option, the C1X modem comes with Apple's 5G. As the Cupertino tech giant claims, the successor to C1 brings a 50% boost in cellular data performance, along with a 30% drop in energy usage.

So, this M4 tablet brings faster connectivity over the iPad Air M3's Wi-Fi 6E and Qualcomm SDX70M 5G modem.

Worth the upgrade?

The iPad Air M4 may not be a huge change over its predecessor, but in terms of performance, it already looks to knock it out of the park. We'll have to put the new iPad Air through its paces in our testing lab, but we already have an idea of what to expect: Faster performance, more RAM for smoother multitasking and even greater connectivity capabilities.

Is it worth an upgrade over the iPad Air M3? You'll pay less using Apple's trade-in program, but depending on what you use it for, you may not see any immediate improvements that make it worth the extra spending.

But that's entirely dependent on what you use an iPad Air for. For intensive creative work, heavy multitasking and the like, you'll likely get more use out of the upgraded M4 iPad Air. And for those who have older models, you'll see an even bigger difference.

Stay tuned for our full review on the iPad Air M4, and in the meantime, our iPad Air M4 vs iPad Air M3 will fill you in on all the differences.

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As insiders were predicting, Apple has refreshed the iPad Air, 12 months after its last update. Meet the iPad Air M4.

The company’s mid-range tablet sees an upgrade to the M4 processor (with the M5 still reserved for the top-of-the-line iPad Pro) and gains an extra 4GB of RAM, while keeping prices static for another year.

The iPad Air M3 has been immediately retired, but retailers will be looking to clear stock, and there’s always the second-hand market for bargain hunters. Is it worth paying extra for the new version? And if you have the M3 iPad Air, should you be looking to upgrade? Here are the key differences.

iPad Air M4 vs iPad Air M3: Specs

iPad Air M4 vs iPad Air M3: Price

Despite the bump in specs, Apple has kept the price of the iPad Air M4 the same for another year. That means that the 11-inch model starts at $599, rising to $1,249 for a model with cellular connectivity and 1TB of storage. The 13-inch version, meanwhile, ranges from $799 to $1,449 for a fully souped-up model.

Of course, with the M3 model now old news, you may be able to get one for a lower price either through retailers clearing out old stock or through the second-hand market.

iPad Air M4 vs iPad Air M3: Design and display

The new iPad Air M4 looks pretty much identical to the M3 model, which in turn was pretty much indistinguishable from the M2 version.

It’s still available in 11- and 13-inch sizes, with the same dimensions: 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches for the 11-inch model, and 11.04 x 8.46 x 0.24 inches for the 13-inch version. Apple lists the weight as 0.1 pound heavier for both versions, so a negligible change there, too.

The screen technology is also the same LED used on the previous model, with plans to match the OLED on the iPad Pro not expected to materialize until next year. It’s 60Hz, too, with no ProMotion 120Hz upgrade, unfortunately.

So it’s a draw between the two tablets in terms of design and display. All the significant changes are on the inside.

iPad Air M4 vs iPad Air M3: Performance

The headline change is, of course, the introduction of Apple’s M4 chipset. Apple claims this will be a 30% boost in performance on the M3 iPad Air, or 2.3 times faster than the M1 model.

While we’ll be running benchmarks when we get our own review unit, we’ve seen how the M4 performs in tablet form before, thanks to the 2024 iPad Pro. Here’s a recap:

The Apple M4 chip is also more efficient than its predecessor, which means you may see some advancement on the 9 hours and 41 minutes that the 11-inch iPad Air M3 achieved in our battery life test. That said, Apple only promises “all-day battery life” in the press release.

A bigger surprise is the upgrade in RAM. While the M3 iPad Air had 8GB — the minimum required for Apple Intelligence — the souped-up M4 version comes with 12GB RAM. Apple also says the memory bandwidth has increased to 120GB/s ensuring that AI models run faster than before.

Beyond the M4 and memory upgrades, the new iPad Air has a few other improvements hidden away inside. First introduced with the iPhone 17 family last September, the new iPad Air contains the N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and — if you spring for the cellular model — a C1X 5G modem.

Taking these one at a time, Wi-Fi 7 means better performance on supported routers, with higher speeds and lower latency. Apple’s own implementation seems to be more effective when using weaker Wi-Fi connections, too. Bluetooth 6 spells more reliable connections, lower latency and more efficient power use.

Apple’s own 5G modem technology will be introduced to cellular models of the iPad Air for the first time, too. The C1X 5G modem already features in the iPhone Air, and according to Apple, it was two times faster than the original C1 that debuted in the iPhone 16e. In tablet terms, Apple says it’s up to 50% faster with 30% less energy usage than the Qualcomm SDX70M modem found in the iPad Air M3.

iPad Air M4 vs iPad Air M3: Outlook

If you looked at the two iPad Air models side by side, you’d be unlikely to see much of a difference. But on the inside, the iPad Air M4 is clearly a faster and more efficient performer, thanks not just to the M4 chipset, but to 4GB extra RAM and improved wireless technologies.

Does that mean you should upgrade from an M3 version? Maybe if you’re a power user, but otherwise probably not.

That said, unless money is particularly tight, it would be a mistake to opt for the older iPad Air over the newer model if you’re looking to upgrade from an older model or are completely new to Apple’s tablets.

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Among all the other new Apple products announced today, the company has launched the Apple iPad Air powered by the company's M4 processor. Like the previous generation, the Air will be offered in two sizes — 11 and 13 inches — and while little appears to have changed since the previous version (other than the processor), it still looks to be a strong complement to Apple's tablet lineup, and could maintain its place at the top of our list of the best tablets.

Here's all the specs and pricing for the 2026 Apple iPad Air

Price and availability

The iPad Air M4 will start at $599 for the 11-inch model, and $799 for the 13-inch version. The base model for each will come with 128GB of storage. Thankfully, that's the same pricing as the M3 Air, so RAMageddon hasn't come to Apple's tablets yet.

Both models will be available in four colors: space gray, blue, purple, and starlight (a very pale gold).

Preorders for both models will open at 9:15 am on March 4, and devices will go on sale on March 11.

iPad Air M4 specs

Apart from the updated processor, the M4 iPad Air will be nearly identical to the M3 version. Here's a quick look at the specs.

Apart from the processor, the other major difference is that the M4 iPads will have Wi-Fi 7, as well as Bluetooth 6 and Thread, thanks to Apple's N1 chip, which the company introduced with the iPhone 17.

Outlook

From what it looks like, the only major change from the iPad Air M3 and the iPad Air M4 is that you'll get better performance owing to the more powerful processor, with no tradeoff in battery life. While it's not exactly apples-to-apples (although it is in some respects), when you compare our benchmark tests of all of Apple's M4 Macbooks, you do see some incremental improvements between the M4 and M3 generations.

Stay tuned for our full benchmarks of Apple's newest and lightest iPad.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed that the company will reveal new products starting on "Monday morning," March 2. This will kick off what is expected to be a three-day bonanza of product announcements.

This includes a press "experience" on Wednesday where Tom's Guide will be in attendance to try out whatever new devices Apple announces.

A little teaser

Cook's teaser is a short video where an incomplete Apple logo is shaped with a squeeze and flick on a silver aluminum background.

"A big week ahead. It all starts Monday morning! #AppleLaunch," the text reads. It's clear that Apple plans to announce new hardware even if the message is a bit cryptic

Outside of the press experience in New York City, London and Shanghai, we don't expect a big Apple keynote. Instead, the company will likely drop several press releases and product videos.

What we expect to see from Apple

Over the three days, we believe Apple will announce "at least five products" thanks to reporting from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and previous rumors.

On the for sure side of things, we expect to see the iPhone 17e, a new iPad Air M4, and a refreshed entry-level iPad. The biggest announcement should be the rumored low-cost MacBook that could launch in yellow and green.

Cheap MacBook

The most interesting may be the rumored low-cost MacBook that could launch in yellow and green. The cheap MacBook is meant to take on entry-level Windows laptops for students and general users.

It's been rumored that it will cost either $599 or $699 with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and a 12-inch display. It could also feature an A18 Pro chip, the same as in the iPhone 16 Pro models.

If Apple is sticking an A18 chip in the cheap MacBook, it could handily outperform the MacBook M1, which is currently the least expensive MacBook that you can buy. This means better performance, graphics and power efficiency.

iPad Air and iPad

An iPad Air powered by the M4 chip is the third "likely" device we could see next week. Like the low-cost iPhone e-series, the only big change here will be chips, including potentially Apple's custom N1 wireless chips.

Alongside the iPad Air, we should see a new entry-level iPad 12, which could feature an A19 chip, though some reports have suggested it could come with an A18 one instead. Either would be an upgrade over the A16 in the current iPad 11.

Both devices are only really seeing chip upgrades. So iPad 12 should feature an 11-inch Liquid Retina display, with at least 128GB starting. The iPad 11 had a test battery life of 11 hours and 25 minutes. The more efficient A19 or A18 could increase that life.

Similarly, the iPad Air M3 has an 11-inch Liquid Retina display and a 10-hour battery life. Again, the more efficient M4 should improve that number.

Other devices

That's four devices, what about number 5? Apple has been rumored to launch a refreshed Mac Studio and a new Apple Studio Display this spring. According to Gurman, the Studio Displays are ready to ship now, with the Studio Displays close behind. So, either or both of those products could make an appearance.

Tom's Guide will be on hand to experience the launches and give you first impressions of whatever Apple announces.

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Most Android malware is spread through dodgy apps and sideloaded programs, meaning that you can slightly control what gets on your device. However, researchers at Kaspersky have discovered a new Android backdoor, dubbed Keenadu, that is embedded in the firmware of tablets from several manufacturers.

The new report indicates that Keenadu can be distributed via compromised firmware images, other backdoors, embedded in system apps or modified from third-party sources or even the Google Play Store.

The firmware version is the most potent and has infected more than 13,000 devices mostly in Russia, Japan, Germany, Brazil and the Netherlands. Keenadu apparently does not activate if the language or time zone is associated with China, which indicates a potential clue as to its origin.

How it works

Kaspersky researchers noted that it's mostly being used for fraudulent ads, but that it's capabilities go far beyond that. It can inject itself into the Android "Zygote" process, a core system process that launches every app on your device.

This means it can give bad actors broad control and visibility over your system.

“Keenadu is a fully functional backdoor that provides the attackers with unlimited control over the victim’s device,” Kaspersky told BleepingComputer. "It can infect every app installed on the device, install any apps from APK files, and give them any available permissions.”

The researchers also found the malware in several apps that were available on the Google Play Store, including a smart home camera app that had over 300,000 downloads.

In a confirmed example, firmware images on the Alldocube iPlay 50 mini Pro tablet were compromised, including in tablets released after the vendor was informed of the malware. The firmware has valid signatures, meaning that it's a supply-chain issue where malicious code was injected during software development or even the manufacturing process.

Here's the silver lining: if you have one of the best tablets from a flagship brand like OnePlus or Samsung, you likely won't be affected by this malware. However, lesser-known Android manufacturers or knock-off ones seem to be more dangerous, and affected vendors haven't been totally named. This is quite similar to how malware was found on millions of budget Android TV boxes last year.

How to stay safe

If you have a budget Android tablet, especially from a smaller or knock-off brand, it's worth checking for software updates. You can also try installing fresh firmware from a reliable third-party. Kaspersky did say that vendors have been notified and hopefully are working on clean firmware updates.

Beyond that, it may be safer to invest in a tablet from a trusted manufacturer. We can help you with choices of the best tablets under $500 and the best Android tablets overall.

A Google spokesperson told Android Authority that "Android users are automatically protected from known versions of this malware by Google Play Protect." The spokesperson added that Play Protect will warn you and disable apps known to exhibit Keenadu behavior.

Google Play Protect is on by default, but if you want an extra layer of protection, you can run one of the best Android antivirus apps alongside it for scanning and defending your tablet or phone.

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It might be years before the iPad Pro gets a significant redesign. That’s according to Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital (via Apple Insider), who claims that the high cost of the iPad Pro’s OLED panel, along with slow sales after the last redesign, have made Apple decide to hold off on another design change for the foreseeable future.

While we might not see a new iPad Pro design, that doesn’t mean Apple will stop releasing future iterations of its premium tablet. The report says we’ll still get chip updates even if the slate’s design remains unchanged. If that’s the case, the new spec bump is likely to be an M6-powered iPad Pro.

What the future holds

For those keeping track, the iPad Pro last received a major update in 2024, where Apple delivered the first iPad with an OLED panel. The iPad Pro M4 featured an M4 chip, and it got a follow-up with the iPad Pro M5 the following year. Other than the processor, it received no major redesign. If this recent report is correct, it seems this is what we can expect from future iPad Pros.

Besides a spec bump, the iPad Pro can still receive software updates via iPadOS. As we’ve seen with iPadOS 26, Apple’s premium tablet is now more MacBook-like, thanks to a new UI and folder options meant to help you be more productive. Likewise with Apple Creator Studio, the iPad Pro is also getting many new creator-friendly features. In short, future iPad Pros might look like the existing 2025 model, but they could function very differently.

Outlook

As someone who reviews iPads for a living, hearing this news is a bummer. That said, this is still very much a rumor. Given that, I’ll reserve hope for new design elements, such as even thinner bezels and better cooling. But even if that doesn’t happen, I can’t complain too much since the current iPad Pro design is so great.

Again, take this alleged leak with a healthy dose of skepticism. If we hear any updates on this story, we’ll let you know, so stay tuned for more!

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• Apple event announced in New York for March 4
• These are the best iPads you can buy in 2026
• I made a digital twin of myself in ChatGPT

While I'm a happy iPhone user, and my MacBook is as steadfast a work companion as I could ask for, my old iPad is probably my favorite Apple device to use. The mix of portability, a perfectly-sized, attractive display and compatibility with all my favorite apps means it's never far from my side. But it's over six years old now, and could probably use an upgrade.

I've had my eye on the iPad Pro M5 since it launched, but the high price has put me off running down to the nearest Apple Store, with my old tablet ready to trade in. But luckily for me, the 256GB 11-inch iPad Pro M5 is down to $899 at Amazon. The price has been this low before, but it fluctuates from week to week, so if you're doing some Presidents' Day deals shopping this is definitely one to consider.

The deal is only available on the Space Black version of the iPad Pro, which to be honest, I prefer to the Silver option anyway. Unfortunately, the current Amazon U.K. version of this deal is only 5% off rather than 10%, which makes me rather jealous. I guess that's what we Brits get for not having presidents to honor with a public holiday.

Apple launched the iPad Pro M5 late last year, and it immediately dazzled us once we began testing. Powered by the same M5 chip found in the latest MacBook Pro, it's got more than enough power to handle typical tablet tasks like video streaming or gaming, and runs rings around the competition in benchmark testing. And when paired with a keyboard accessory like Apple's Magic Keyboard, it could be a viable laptop replacement depending on the kind of work you do.

The Tandem OLED display, which uses two layers of OLED pixels on top of one another, means this is the brightest tablet we've ever had in the TG lab, great for making on-screen content pop, even outdoors. And wherever you take the tablet, the WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6 compatibility mean you get the best possible connection. You can even pay extra to add 5G connectivity for truly mobile computing, but I wouldn't recommend that in this case because the discount isn't as deep. Also, while the 5G iPad Pro M5 is available in Silver at Amazon, it's only offering refurbished units in the (in my opinion cooler-looking) Space Black colorway.

With our main complaint in our review being the price, you can see why now's the time to strike and buy yourself the ultimate in Apple tablet tech. Assuming you live on the correct side of the Atlantic.

I didn’t expect to love the OnePlus Pad Go 2 ($399) this much. Sure, I’m a fan of the company’s tablets, but none of the units I’ve tested or reviewed would make me consider them over one of the best iPads. And while Apple continues to have a stranglehold over the tablet industry, I wouldn’t mind using the OnePlus Pad Go 2 as my daily driver.

What’s so great about this mid-range slate? For starters, its vivid 12.1-inch display does a phenomenal job of delivering sharp and clear images when you’re browsing the web, playing games, or reading comics. Though an OLED option would have been nice, everything looks quite nice on this screen.

The snappy and user-friendly OxygenOS is arguably the Pad Go 2’s secret weapon, since it makes finding and launching apps so seamless. Open Canvas provides one of the best multi-tasking experiences for tablets, as it lets you have up to three apps in a flexible interface. The user experience here is virtually identical to the OnePlus Pad 3, only for $200 less.

While the OnePlus Pad Go 2 doesn’t have a distinctive design like its sibling slates and its fast-charging isn’t all that fast, its virtues more than make up for any shortcomings. If you’re looking for one of the best Android tablets, this is the one to get. Find out more in my full review.

OnePlus Pad Go 2 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The OnePlus Pad 2 is a 12.1-inch mid-range tablet that runs on OxygenOS.
• Who is it for? This is a tablet for anyone who wants a reliable productivity and gaming machine at an affordable price.
• What does it cost? The OnePlus Pad 2 costs $399 on OnePlus’ website. Right now, you can select either the OnePlus Pad Go 2 Folio Case or Pad Go 2 Stylo as a free gift. Separately, the former costs $44 while the latter sells for $79. However, at time of writing, these add-ons cost $31and $59 (respectively).
• What do we like? We like the bright and colorful display, snappy, user-friendly operating system, and easy portability.
• What don’t we like? The somewhat boring design compared to other OnePlus Pads and slow charging.

OnePlus Pad Go 2 review: Specs

OnePlus Pad Go 2 review: The ups

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a fantastic mid-range Android tablet thanks to its bright and colorful display, fast performance, and fluid operating system. Its long battery life is another major bonus.

Vivid display

The 12.1-inch 2800 x 1980 LCD panel delivers a fine viewing and reading experience. The oversaturated colors help comics pop off the screen, while the sharp resolution makes it easier to read text.

Watching videos like the X-Men-focused Avengers: Doomsday trailer is just as enjoyable, as I’m able to see all the different shades of red in Cyclops’ optic blast. Everything runs buttery smooth thanks to the variable 120Hz refresh rate.

Our lab tests confirm my anecdotal experience. As you can see in the table below, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 does indeed have oversaturated color representation (sRGB and DCI-P3), along with good color accuracy (Delta-E). While the brightness doesn’t exactly hit the advertised 900 nits in high brightness mode, the average 554 nits of HDR brightness is more than enough for outdoor watching.

How does the OnePlus Pad Go 2 compare to the iPad 11? The display on OnePlus’ slate can get brighter and has more vivid hues. While the numbers might favor the Pad Go 2, the iPad offers more naturalistic tones. Color accuracy is also just slightly better on the iPad.

Lightweight design

You’d be forgiven for mistaking the OnePlus Pad Go 2 for an iPad. The design isn’t identical, but it’s very close. Though some folks aren’t fond of the large rear cameras on OnePlus’ tablets, no one can deny they give the slates a distinctive look. Losing that aspect is a bit of a bummer.

Even if the Pad Go 2 has a fairly basic shape, it’s a design that makes it easy to use and carry around. At 10.47 x 7.59 x 0.27 inches and 1.32 pounds, you can comfortably hold this slate for extended periods. It’s also lightweight and thin enough to slip into your backpack and forget it’s there.

One unique aspect that the Pad Go 2 retains is the display’s 7:5 aspect ratio, which makes it taller and wider than many tablets. The display’s proportions are closer to a laptop’s. This aspect ratio is perfect for novels and comics, so I’m glad OnePlus didn’t change that.

Even if the OnePlus Pad Go 2’s design isn’t that distinct, it’s still functional, portable and comfortable to use — exactly what you want in a tablet.

Good performance

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Ultra processor and packs 8GB of RAM. While these aren’t high-end components, they provide this slate with enough power for smooth multitasking and running relatively demanding apps.

Playing a YouTube video while multitasking across various apps didn’t present a problem for the OnePlus Pad Go 2, as everything ran smoothly and without slowing down. I saw some stuttering and frame rate drops in Genshin Impact, but it wasn’t enough to kill the experience.

On the Geekbench 6 CPU test, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 performed decently, though it’s clearly outmatched by the iPad 11 with its more powerful A16 chip. Apple’s tablet also lapped the Pad Go 2 on the 3D Mark graphics test.

Though the iPad 11 outclasses the OnePlus Pad Go 2 in our performance tests, you’ll find it performs surprisingly well under real-world conditions. This is impressive for a mid-range Android tablet.

Epic battery life

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is one of the longest-lasting Android tablets we’ve tested. In our battery life test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi with the display set to 150 nits of brightness, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 lasted for an epic 16 hours and 39 minutes. As you can see below, that’s basically seven hours longer than the iPad 11.

During my own testing, I watched YouTube videos, browsed the web, and played games for about two hours, and the battery dropped to 80%. If you forget the tablet’s charger at home, you won’t be worried at all.

Snappy Oxygen OS

OnePlus’ OxygenOS 16 is one of my favorite things about the Pad Go 2. There’s a taskbar with your most recently used files, a built-in app drawer that helps with navigation, and a two-pane view that also facilitates navigation. Features like this make using the tablet feel very intuitive.

Speaking of productivity, Open Canvas is a fantastic multitasking tool for those who want to use this tablet for work. You can have up to three apps in an interface that allows you to keep said apps at your preferred size. Like with Open Canvas on the OnePlus Pad 3, the Pad Go 2 makes suggested pairings if you frequently switch between apps. I find these suggestions pretty handy. Performing the gestures required for this sort of splitview is pretty seamless.

As expected from a modern computing device, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 has built-in AI features. This includes summaries, text generation, and translation — all of which you can access by swiping the side of the screen whenever you need these features. You’ll also find dedicated buttons for them in relevant apps. I didn’t find much use for these features, but they could be useful to you.

Though I still prefer iPadOS 26 over OxygenOS 16, the latter is an excellent skin for Android that functions wonderfully.

OnePlus Pad Go 2 review: The downs

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is an almost perfect Android tablet. Unfortunately, it has one flaw that can be frustrating if you’re in a hurry.

Slow charging

While the OnePlus Pad Go 2 offers incredible endurance, charging its 10050 mAh battery takes an inordinate amount of time. The tablet is supposed to have “fast” 33W charging, but in my experience, charging is anything but fast. It took me a little over two hours to fully charge the slate from zero percent battery, which can feel like an eternity.

I bring up slow charging because I know this could be a point of contention for some. While I wish charging didn’t take as long, the trade-off is that you get exceptional battery life. Because of that, you won’t always have to keep charging this tablet. It comes down to whether you want a long-lasting battery or fast charging.

OnePlus Pad Go 2 review: Verdict

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 proves that Android tablets can be just as enjoyable and functional to use as Apple’s iPads. Granted, those already deep in the Apple ecosystem likely won’t be swayed to buy this slate, but if you’re platform agnostic, OnePlus’ tablet is a fantastic alternative.

If you need a mid-range tablet that delivers better overall performance, offers greater app compatibility, and has an OS that will be supported for many years, then the iPad 11 is your best bet. However, if you’re into Android tablets or want a slate that plays nice with your OnePlus phone, you should give the OnePlus Pad Go 2 a shot. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

As the rest of the tech world seemingly falls apart thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis, Apple is slated to have a busy start to 2026 with a slew new devices expected to launch in the next six months.

From the refreshed iPhone 17e to new iPads, we expect to see a variety of devices, including a new budget-friendly MacBook to take on Chromebooks and cheaper Windows notebooks. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman confirmed a number of new devices in his PowerOn newsletter, many of which we've covered. Here's what Apple should release soon — and what's on the horizon.

iPhones: iPhone 17e

Apple's e-series is going to be an annual spring release with the second version launching this year in the iPhone 17e. Most of the changes with this model will reportedly be internal with new chips and the addition of MagSafe charging.

It should get the A19 chip from the iPhone 17 plus the Apple-developed C1 modem and N1 wireless chip. This means the iPhone 17e should support Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread - the smart home low-power mesh.

Unfortunately, the iPhone 17e may retain the $599 of the 16e, which makes it not quite as budget-friendly as you'd like a downgraded iPhone to be.

As my colleague Tom Pritchard noted, "It may be a cheap iPhone, but we've seen cheaper, and I'm wondering whether buying a used flagship iPhone is a better use of your money."

Later this fall, we expect to see the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and the iPhone Fold launch in September.

iPads: Entry-level, Air, Mini

Gurman claims that at least three refreshed iPad models are coming this year, including a new base model, iPad Air and an updated iPad mini.

Like the 17e, the biggest upgrades will all be internal. All three are expected to get the new in-house Apple wireless and modem chips. Additionally, they should get faster processors. Gurman claimed they would get the A18 chip, but an earlier report based on leaked internal documents indicated that the iPads would get the newer A19 chipset or the M4 chip.

The base model will get the A19, while the iPad Air will get the M4 set.

Finally, at the end of 2025, it was rumored that the iPad mini 8 will get an OLED upgrade, and it might feature the A20 Pro CPU that will feature in the iPhone 18 Pro later this year. The upgraded iPad mini isn't expected to launch until later this year after the iPhone 18 Pro launch.

MacBooks: Budget, M5 Air, and new Pro models

Apple launched its MacBook Pro M5 in October last year but was missing the M5 Pro and M5 Max/Ultra models. The most current rumors have set the high-end Pro models to launch as early as the week of March 2. We expect the MacBook Air M5 to launch around this time as well.

The more interesting potential release is the rumored cheap MacBook meant to take on low-cost Windows laptops and Google Chromebooks. Rumors have slated this budget MacBook to cost around $599, likely as a way for Apple to kneecap the refurbished market for deals like the M1 MacBook Air from Walmart.

The laptop should have a 12-inch to 13-inch display and run on the A18 Pro chipset, though that is speculation. I haven't seen a release date in the rumor mill, but I would put a couple bucks on it launching alongside the iPhone 17e, creating a "budget ecosystem" for Apple. Possibly, it could debut as part of a week of MacBooks with the Pro models.

Finally, on the computing front, Apple could finally release an updated Studio Display and Mac Studio desktops. Allegedly, new Mac minis, likely with the M5 chip, are on the docket as well. It's not clear when these devices will launch. Plus, an OLED MacBook Pro M6 is rumored to launch at some point this year, likely in October, its usual window.

iOS 26.4: Siri 2.0, iOS 27

One of our complaints about the 16e was the high price point and the lack of actual Apple Intelligence, thanks to Apple's struggles with AI and creating a true Siri 2.0.

That version should finally launch with iOS 26.4, likely in March, which will include upgrades to Siri. The real upgrade probably won't launch until WWDC 2026 in June when we'll learn more about iOS 27 and the Google Gemini partnership to bolster Apple Intelligence.

All in all, it's a busy season for the tech giant, and Tom's Guide will be there to cover all the new devices and help you decide if it's time to upgrade.

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Now may be the worst time to buy an iPad, as Apple is reportedly set to reveal all-new models in the near future — and it may even come with a first for the entry-level tablet.

Apple's next iPad 12 and iPad Air 8 are "coming soon," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Both tablets are expected to see major chip upgrades, including an A18 or A19 for the base iPad, and a mighty M4 processor for the upcoming Air.

What upgrades can we expect?

While significant design changes aren't expected over the current iPad 11 and iPad Air M3, previous leaks have hinted that Apple's lower-cost tablet will feature an A19 chip — the same silicon found in the iPhone 17. Compared to the A16, this would see a 50% performance boost, but it will also finally bring Apple Intelligence features to the tablet.

It isn't certain if Apple will manage to equip the iPad 12 with an A19 chip, as other reports have indicated that it will feature an A18 instead. Regardless, this will still deliver AI to the base tablet, and considering that Siri will now be powered by Google's Gemini, we could see some exciting software upgrades once it arrives.

Another rumored performance boost coming to the iPad 12 is a move to 8GB of RAM, compared to the usual 6GB. This makes sense, seeing as the iPhone 17 comes with 8GB of RAM, and would be yet another jump between base iPad models, as the iPad 10 came with 4GB.

As for the iPad Air 8, we can expect the next-gen tablet to feature an M4 chip, meaning we'll find the power of a MacBook Air M4 in the form of a tablet. That should give it around a 20%+ performance increase, but we may also see Apple's custom N1 wireless chip make an appearance, delivering a substantial upgrade to Wi-Fi connectivity.

With both the iPad 12 and iPad Air 8 now tipped to be heading our way soon, it's likely these tablets will launch in spring. Both the 11th-gen iPad and M3-powered iPad Air launched in March 2025, and the Cupertino tech giant may follow suit with its latest entries. That's not all, as the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models are also expected to launch in March.

A simple refresh (with big performance gains)

Aside from the chip upgrades, Apple Intelligence features and possible N1 wireless chip, expect the iPad 12 and iPad Air with M4 to look largely the same.

That means identical designs (11-inch for the iPad, 11- and 13-inch for the iPad Air), same 12MP cameras and Liquid Retina display (2360 x 1640) displays. As with past generations, the next tablets are set to be more of a performance upgrade.

It will be interesting to see if the base iPad 12 either gets an A18 or A19 chipset, as Apple previously jumped a single generation for its entry-level tablet; the iPad 11 received an A16 upgrade over the iPad 10's A14 chip. However, the key feature here will be Apple Intelligence support, making the whole iPad lineup deliver AI capabilities.

While there's still no word on the anticipated iPad mini 8, which is tipped to see even bigger upgrades that include an OLED display, more iPads are around the corner — and finally catching up to the iPad Pro M5.

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• Samsung just announced a color e-reader made of plankton — no, I’m not kidding
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I thought I’d seen everything in the world of displays, from foldable glass to transparent OLEDs that look like something out of Minority Report. But Samsung just threw a curveball that I genuinely didn't see coming. The company just announced a new 13-inch Color E-Paper display that’s built using a bio-resin derived from phytoplankton, or plankton. No, I’m not making that up!

As Samsung detailed in a blog post, the company is essentially using microscopic marine organisms to build a screen. It sounds like a plot point from a sci-fi novel where we’ve run out of plastic, but the goal here is sustainability. By using this bio-resin, Samsung claims it can slash carbon emissions during the manufacturing process by over 40% compared to traditional petroleum-based plastics. It’s a crazy science project turned into a real-world device.

The tech inside the screen is just as impressive as the plankton-based shell. This is a 13.3-inch panel with a 1600 x 1200 resolution that looks and feels like actual paper, according to Samsung. Since this is a digital paper display, it consumes 0 watts of power when showing a static image. It only drains a bit of juice when it changes to another image.

Now, before you get excited about a potential Samsung Galaxy Tab e-reader, I have some bad news. Right now, this device (the EM13DX model) is aimed strictly at businesses. Samsung wants these on store shelves, restaurant menus, and office doors to replace traditional paper signage. You can’t buy this device from Amazon or Best Buy just yet.

If you’ll permit me to speculate, I can see Samsung eventually bringing this tech to the consumer market. If that happens, we might finally see a true rival for the Kindle Colorsoft and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. Those are fantastic tablets that I use all the time, but it would be fascinating to see Samsung’s color-imaging algorithms applied to an e-reader. Again, this is likely wishful thinking on my part—but a man can dream!

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It’s not every day I’m walking through a mall and end up stopping in my tracks to play with a tablet, but that’s exactly what happened last summer in Taiwan.

After a week of checking out the latest gadgets at Computex, I headed to Taipei’s legendary electronics market, Guang Hua Digital Plaza for some last-minute sightseeing. While I usually prefer smaller tablets like the iPad mini or the Lenovo Legion Tab 3, the TCL NXTPAPER 14 immediately stood out. Maybe it was the massive 14.3-inch screen or the chance to finally see and feel TCL’s innovative NXTPAPER tech in person, but I was hooked.

Late last year, TCL sent over that same tablet along with its smaller, more powerful NXTPAPER 11 Plus and even a smartphone with the same paper-like display for me to test out at home. While its larger sibling hooked me initially, the NXTPAPER 11 Plus quickly became my go-to device. Its 11.5-inch screen makes it easy to slip into a bag and it’s also the perfect size for reading.

Unlike with other tablets I’ve tried in the past, I didn’t feel compelled to put a screen protector on this one and I’m glad I didn’t, as doing so would ruin my favorite thing about it: the paper-like feel of its matte display. I also didn’t have to worry about finding a case for the NXTPAPER 11 Plus since TCL includes one in the box along with a fully equipped stylus.

Here’s what it’s been like using TCL’s NXTPAPER tech for the past two months and why the NXTPAPER 11 Plus is easily one of the best tablets on a budget, especially if you’ve flirted with the idea of picking up a reMarkable Paper Pro over a standard Android tablet.

Surprisingly equipped right out of the box

At a time when you’re lucky to get a USB-C cable in the box, I was instantly impressed by everything TCL manages to cram into the box with both the NXTPAPER 14 and the NXTPAPER 14 Plus.

Unlike with one of the best iPads, it can be hard finding a case or other accessories for some Android tablets. TCL takes the guesswork out with its tablets so instead of shopping for the right case, you can get right to using your new device.

I really like the included folio case for a couple of reasons. For starters, it’s magnetic and instantly turns off your tablet’s screen when closed. However, there are also plastic feet on the bottom side that, in addition to turning the case into a very sturdy stand, provide you with a place to store the included stylus.

I’m no digital artist by any means but I’m quite partial to having a stylus for each of my tablets. I find using a stylus makes it a lot easier to scroll through the news each morning without accidentally opening stories I wasn’t planning on reading. The same goes for poking around a device’s settings menu and quickly making changes like not having new apps added to my home screen for instance.

I also really like how this is an active stylus that’s pre-paired with the NXTPAPER 11 Plus. After powering it on, I was able to start using it right away and surprisingly, I haven’t even had to charge it yet, though it does get up to 100 hours of use on a single charge. There are also two up and down keys on the stylus that you can program to do things like instantly take you back to the home screen or open TCL’s Sidebar.

Speaking of which, the Sidebar is a collection of customizable shortcuts that you can access by swiping with your finger (or the stylus) to go back and holding it there for an extra second or so. You can add actions like taking a screenshot as well as shortcuts to your favorite apps. I found this feature to be both pretty clever and well implemented.

The included case and stylus are useful extras but it’s the display itself and TCL’s proprietary screen technology that kept me going back to the NXTPAPER 11 Plus again and again.

An almost instant transformation

The NXTPAPER 11 Plus has your standard USB-C port on the side as well as a power button and volume rocker up top. However, across from those two buttons is the device's namesake NXTPAPER Key. This is where the device’s magic happens and on this newer tablet, it’s also equipped with a backlight that you can turn on or off. When enabled, the light “breathes,” perhaps to help you remember that a total display transformation is just a button press away.

The NXTPAPER Key is also customizable and you can choose what a single press, double press and long press does. By default, a single press lets you switch between its three different modes: Regular Mode, Color Paper Mode and Ink Paper Mode. The animation that accompanies this switch is pretty neat too, especially when going from the black and white Ink Paper Mode back to the full color Regular Mode and vice versa.

After owning a Kindle for years now to read ebooks, I was really taken aback by how closely TCL’s NXTPAPER is able to mimic ePaper even though it uses an LCD display. This gives you the best of both worlds since you have that easier to read black and white look but with the much faster refresh rates of LCD over ePaper.

My favorite part of using either of the non-standard NXTPAPER modes though is that your entire device along with all of the apps you use are instantly transformed. Whether I was scrolling through Google News or browsing Reddit, everything – including pictures – was either in black and white Ink Paper or Color Paper.

There are plenty of health benefits like reduced eye strain and less blue light when using a tablet equipped with TCL’s NXTPAPER, but I found the matte display — technically nano-matrix lithography etching — was the most useful for me day to day as someone that can’t stand the glare of a glossy display, especially when taking pictures.

Glare-free versatility

Although most of my time testing the NXTPAPER 11 Plus was spent in the comfort of my own home, I decided to bring the tablet with me to a doctor’s appointment followed by a trip to IKEA to see how it handled the real world.

Right from the get-go, I was impressed by how usable it remained even in direct sunlight. Most tablets struggle in this situation, but thanks to that matte display, I wasn’t squinting just to make out what was on the screen.

Even outside on a table, the NXTPAPER 11 Plus was just as functional in the great outdoors as it was at home. This is the kind of device you can comfortably use while sitting in the grass — say, on a college campus — and since the case has a built-in stand, you really don't need to pack anything else.

Once my appointment was over, I headed to IKEA and, after polishing off some Swedish meatballs, I spent a few minutes using the tablet in the food court. At first glance, you might think I was just reading an ebook on a normal tablet. However, I actually had Ink Paper Mode enabled, which really made the text pop. Since the display isn’t working as hard to render a full spectrum of colors in this mode, switching to black and white is a clever way to stretch its already impressive 8,000 mAh battery even further during long days out.

Then, when it was time to check out IKEA’s new smart home accessories — namely its Matter-equipped buttons — I just closed the folio case and slid the tablet back into my backpack, knowing it would be perfectly safe without an extra sleeve.

Although the NXTPAPER 14 wowed me initially, I’ve found that 11.5 inches is the perfect middle ground for both portability and screen real estate. It’s a large enough screen to multitask with two apps side-by-side, yet in portrait mode, it’s ideal for reading both books and news articles.

Since this tablet is only $370 full price and is often found for under $300 on sale, it’s the kind of device you can take everywhere without constant worry. If I were using an iPad Pro or a premium Samsung tablet, I might be tempted to leave it at home to keep it safe. With the NXTPAPER 11 Plus, however, I wouldn’t think twice before throwing it in my bag for a weekend trip or a long flight.

Consider me in-matte-uated

I have to admit, what initially enticed me about TCL’s NXTPAPER was how photogenic this display tech is. As part of my job, I often have to snap pics of a particular app or service running on a smartphone or tablet. While direct sunlight pretty much always looks great in photos, glare absolutely doesn’t. Back at that mall in Taipei, I wondered what it would be like having a device I could easily photograph even in less than ideal conditions and those few quick pics I took in IKEA prove that TCL’s NXTPAPER is perfect for this.

Glare-free photos did draw me in at first, but I wasn’t expecting to love the way a matte touchscreen felt on my fingertips. That little bit of resistance you get from a non-glossy screen really makes simple actions like swiping or scrolling feel a whole lot more premium. Add to this how I can instantly switch between full color or black and white system-wide while still running what is essentially stock Android, and I couldn’t be happier with both of the tablets and the smartphone TCL sent over.

After getting a taste of the all-matte life with these devices, I found myself wondering if TCL would ever bring its NXTPAPER tech to one of the best monitors or even one of the company’s TVs. Swiping my finger up and down or even using the included stylus felt entirely different than it normally does. Not because TCL is also partial to matte screens, but because a display like that is required for the company's NXTPAPER to work its magic.

I don’t plan on putting down the NXTPAPER 11 Plus anytime soon, but the jury is still out on whether or not I’d be willing to switch to one of TCL’s smartphones to have this same premium-feeling sensation whenever I take my phone out of my pocket. I guess only time will tell.

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If you or someone you love just came into possession of a new iPad, congratulations! I've been reviewing tablets for ages here at Tom's Guide, and I feel like Apple's iPads are among the best tablets on the market right now. They're light and long-lasting, with lovely touchscreens and enough speed to run any app in Apple's massive App Store.

They make for great gifts, but the iPad interface is so minimal and intuitive that there's a slew of useful features you might take months to find if you didn't know about them. With that in mind, I figured I could quickly help you make your new iPad your own by walking you through my 5 favorite iPad features you should master to make the most of your new tablet.

We've written a lot about iPads over the years, so in this guide, I tried to specifically focus on useful features that aren't easy to find unless you know where to look. So, whether you have a new iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro, or an iPad mini, I have some quick tips on how to make it your own!

Customize your home screen

As you swipe around your home screen, you'll see all the apps you've downloaded lined up in neat little rows. You can let your iPad manage all this automatically, but if you'd like to customize your home screen, there's an easy (yet oddly hard to find) way to do so.

To start customizing your home screen, simply press and hold your finger on any empty space on your tablet's home screen until you see the icons start to shake. At this point, you can tap and drag them around to reorganize them, but you can do a lot more than that if you hit that tiny "Edit" button in the upper-left corner of the screen.

I can't tell you how many times I've had family tell me they never even saw that button, because it's awfully tiny. But if you tap and hold the home screen until the icons start to jiggle and then hit the Edit button, you can do a lot more: change your wallpaper, adjust your light/dark mode settings and lay down Widgets on your home screen.

Don't know about Widgets? You will soon!

Lay down some Widgets

Widgets are blocks you can put on your home screen that will display useful information and update in real time. They debuted with iPadOS 17 a few years ago, and now they're really robust and useful.

To start putting Widgets on your home screen, you just hold your finger on an empty space until you enter edit mode (when the icons start jiggling) and then hit the Edit button in the top-left corner.

That will open the Widgets menu, where you'll see a big list of apps you have that you can scroll through to pick out Widgets. Apple's apps have great Widget support with lots of options, but nowadays, many third-party apps do too. You can also put active Widgets on your iPad's lock screen, so you can stay on top of key details like your calendar or to-do list even when your iPad is locked.

Turn on "Find My iPad"

Next, let's ensure you have a little peace of mind if you ever misplace your iPad or leave it somewhere.

Apple has a robust tracking system in the form of "Find My", an app that you can use to track the location of your enrolled Apple devices in real time. It's super useful, but a lot of new iPad users don't even know it exists.

To enable Find My for your iPad, open the Settings app, then tap your name in the upper-left corner. Navigate to the Find My menu and make sure the "Find My iPad" setting is turned on. From within this menu, you can also choose to share your iPad's location with family and friends.

Master multitasking

Your iPad is great for focusing on a specific app or task, but there are some advanced multitasking features you can use to access multiple apps simultaneously. I love doing this when I need to reference something while working or if I want to chat with a friend while watching something, and I think you will too.

The trick is finding and mastering these tools, because they're not well-explained if you don't dig into Apple's guides and menus. To access your iPad's multitasking settings, open the Settings app and navigate to the Multitasking & Gestures submenu.

From here, you can (at least as of iPadOS 26) pick and choose one of three different ways to multitask. The "Full Screen Apps" setting is the default and also the most restrictive, as you can only view one app at a time in full-screen mode. So basically, you can only multitask by quickly switching between apps.

The second "Windowed Apps" option makes your iPad work a bit more like a Mac or a Windows PC. When working in this multitasking mode, you can have multiple apps open on your screen at once, and you can change their size or move them by tapping and dragging on the corners of the app.

The final option is "Stage Manager," and it's something totally unique to your iPad. When working in Stage Manager mode, you can center one app on your iPad while the other open apps are listed as small icons along the side of the screen. When you want to switch apps, you just tap the icon of the app you want to look at, and it immediately leaps to the fore. Check out our how to use Stage Manager on iPad guide for step-by-step instructions and more tips!

Make your Control Center your own

There's a really useful Control Center menu built into your iPad that you can customize so it has just the controls you really want, and none that you don't. But if you didn't know where to look, you might take a while to even realize it exists.

See, to access the Control Center, you have to drag your finger down from the upper-right corner of your iPad. It can take a few tries to get it right and stop pulling down the notifications pane by accident (which happens if you drag your finger down from the top of the screen elsewhere), but once you get the hang of it, summoning the Control Center gives you quick access to useful features like volume and Wi-Fi controls, your music library, your smart home settings and more.

You can customize your Control Center by dragging your finger down from the upper-right corner to summon it and then tapping the small plus (+) icon in the upper-left corner of the menu. This will turn on editing mode, and you can then tap and drag controls around to reorganize your Control Center. You can also tap the minus (-) icon to remove a control, or tap the thick edge of the control and drag it to change the size of the control.

Once I got the hang of using the Command Center, it became my go-to tool for quickly doing things like playing music or turning on smart lights in my apartment. I hope you find it equally useful!

Master these five sometimes hard-to-find features, and you're well on your way to making your new iPad your own. I hope you found these tips useful, and if you have your own advice for new iPad owners, share it in the comments below!

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If you've upgraded to one of the best iPads out there, like the Air M3 or the iPad Mini 7, your old tablet is probably sitting in a drawer collecting dust. But even vintage iPads that Apple no longer supports with the latest updates are still capable devices that can handle useful tasks.

Instead of letting it become e-waste or trying to sell it for pennies, repurpose it into something that solves everyday problems and actually gets used. From boosting productivity to managing your smart home to pure entertainment, your old iPad has plenty of life left in it.

Here are five practical ways to give your old iPad a second life.

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Have you ever held a piece of tech so thin and light you were almost giddy? That's the experience I just had with a tablet called (appropriately enough) Paper here at CES 2026

Made by the Chinese company Haining Toall Technology, this Android device measures just 3.1mm thick. For those scoring at home, the iPad Pro M5 is 5.1mm thin.

The Paper tablet features a 13-inch AMOLED display, and it's so thin that the ports are stored in a raised area that's slightly thicker. You get two USB-C ports and a mini HDMI port. This bump also makes the slate a bit easier to hold.

We don't know much about the specs, but the company told us it will be available in 256GB and 512GB versions, and the starting price is $1,500.

When I asked about the CPU, I was just told by a company rep that Paper will be powered by a Chinese processor. So maybe that's MediaTek?

The other major trade-off, other than price? Battery life. The Paper is rated for just 3 hours of runtime, but you'll be able to get several more hours with the case.

There's no firm release date for Paper in the U.S., but if it does come stateside, we will definitely test it out and see if it can truly compete against the best tablets. Let us know what you think in the comments.

For more coverage, see our CES 2026 live blog right now.

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Amazon just launched the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, an upgraded version of the Kindle Scribe that lets you read and write in color. It's a welcome upgrade for the Scribe that opens up some fun new possibilities, like color-coding your notes on a book or being able to read your favorite manga and comic books in color. But it's also quite expensive. In my Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review I called this slate the Cadillac of Kindles, and for good reason: Amazon slapped a $629 starting price on this e-paper tablet, so it costs more than a new iPad Air.

At that price, you have to be someone who loves reading and writing to buy one of these new Kindles, because otherwise you could get more features and a better screen for less by buying an iPad or Android tablet. And if you are someone who prizes the ability to put stylus to screen to jot down notes or doodle during boring meetings, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has serious competition in the ReMarkable Paper Pro.

I know because I wrote our ReMarkable Paper Pro review last year and loved it, calling it the best e-paper tablet for writers I'd ever used. Now that I've had a chance to test out the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft side-by-side with the Paper Pro, I've learned a lot about which is best for what, so I figured I could help you make your decision by breaking down the differences between the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs. ReMarkable Paper Pro. Let's dive in!

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Price

One of the tricky things about deciding between these two e-paper slates is the price: they both start at $629, though that climbs depending on what accessories and upgrades you want.

So let's quickly talk through what you get for that price: Amazon's Kindle Scribe Colorsoft starts at $629 for the 32GB model and comes with a free Kindle Premium Pen stylus, which has a built-in "eraser" tool on the rear end as well as a function button you can customize to do things like switch to a specific art tool, etc.

You can pay $50 more (so $679) for an upgraded model of the Scribe Colorsoft with 64GB of storage space, effectively doubling how many documents you can store at once. If you want a folio to protect the Kindle, you can get one direct from Amazon for $139.

The ReMarkable Paper Pro, by comparison, starts at $629 and comes with 64GB of storage and a basic ReMarkable Marker stylus that has no eraser end or function button. If you want the fancier ReMarkable Marker Plus stylus with the "eraser" tool on the end it will cost you (surprise!) $50 more, for a total of $679.

If you'd like to cover up your ReMarkable Paper Pro to protect it, you can get a basic Book Folio cover from the company for $89 or pay $229 for the Type Folio, which has a keyboard built in. ReMarkable offers some small discounts if you buy multiple products in a bundle, such that if you were to splurge for the Paper Pro with Marker Plus and Type Folio it would cost you $829 before tax, rather than something north of $900.

So if you want to get the best possible device for the least amount of money, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has the slight edge here because it comes with the Kindle Premium Pen stylus no matter what — you don't have to pay extra for the better stylus. The trade-off is that you get less storage space on the Kindle, and you have to pay $50 more if you want the same amount of space as you get with the ReMarkable Paper Pro.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Design

Both the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and the ReMarkable Paper Pro are thin, rectangular slates, though the Paper Pro is bigger and sports a slightly larger (11" vs 11.8") display. Both also have tiny feet on the back which help them rest flat on a table without scratching anything.

The e-paper tablets both weigh around a pound, though the ReMarkable slate is slightly heavier (14 vs 18.5 oz) and has a thicker bezel at the bottom of the device than the Kindle. This little lip at the bottom can be handy when you want to hold the device upright without touching the screen, but while using both tablets I don't find I miss it much on the Kindle.

Similarly, both have a single power button near the top (on the top edge for the ReMarkable vs on the top right edge of the Kindle) and a single USB-C port on the bottom edge for charging and data transfer.

So in terms of design, there really isn't a huge difference between the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro. However, the ReMarkable Paper Pro does have a slightly larger screen and weights slightly more than the Kindle, so if screen real estate is king you probably want the Paper Pro.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Display

The screens on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro look similar but are very different in their construction, which matters if you care about how it feels to drag the stylus across the screen.

I'll dig into that in depth in the Writing section, but before I do I want to point out that there is one area in which the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft clearly outperforms the ReMarkable Paper Pro. Put simply, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft can get brighter than the ReMarkable Paper Pro, so it's going to be easier to use in dark settings without external light.

In terms of display quality, well, some of this is going to be anecdotal because I'm no display expert. But first let me point out that technically the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is capable of displaying black and white images slightly sharper than the ReMarkable Paper Pro, while color images will be slightly less sharp.

That's because the ReMarkable Paper Pro's unique Canvas Color display has a rough PPI (pixels per inch) of 229 no matter what you're looking at. But the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft's Kaleido 3 screen has to halve its resolution when displaying color, so you get B&W images in 300 PPI but color images in 150 PPI.

In my experience, you won't notice the difference between the different resolutions unless you're paying very close attention. However, the fact that the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft can get noticeably brighter than the ReMarkable Paper Pro will make a difference in dark areas. Plus, the colors on the Scribe Colorsoft can seem to "pop" a bit more than they do on the Paper Pro because you can crank up the brightness for a bit of extra vibrancy.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Performance

I have both the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and the ReMarkable Paper Pro in front of me on my desk right now, and I have to admit that neither seems to perform basic functions in a particularly snappy or fast way. So if you're expecting responsiveness on a par with the best tablets from Apple and the rest, you're in for a disappointment.

Both slates are powered by quad-core CPUs, but the Kindle has double the RAM of the Paper Pro (2GB vs 4GB).

That said, I'm having a hard time figuring out which of these e-paper slates actually "performs" better because I've noticed inconsistent results when running basic tests like tapping the same file on both screens and seeing which opens the document faster.

The one thing I can say about using both at the same time is that the ReMarkable Paper Pro seems to load documents and new pages in those documents at pretty much the same (reliably slow) speed. But while testing the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft I noticed that load times seemed much more variable: sometimes the Kindle loaded the next page in a document or a recently opened document within two seconds, whereas other times loading the next page or a recent document seemed to take 3-5 seconds — not very long, obviously, but long enough to doubt whether the device had registered my input.

So ultimately I don't think you're going to notice a big difference in performance between these two e-paper slates, and their relative snappiness shouldn't make a big impact in your buying decision.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Writing

Both of these e-paper tablets come with a stylus because writing and annotating documents on them is half the reason to buy one. So if you care about what it's like to put stylus to screen, I have some key details you need to know before you buy.

This is an area where there's a big difference between the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro. For my money, no stylus and tablet have ever been as nice to write with as what ReMarkable sells, but the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is no slouch in this department either.

That's because Amazon put special effort into trying to make the feel of dragging the Kindle Premium Pen against the screen of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft feel as much like paper as possible. The company crows about having put new texture-molded glass on the Scribe Colorsoft and further squished the display stack (that is, all the tech beneath the screen) further to minimize the lag between when you put the stylus to the screen and when your input appears. And I can vouch that it seems to have made a difference, because I enjoy the feel of writing on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft more than I did when testing last year's basic Kindle Scribe.

But while the feel of writing on the Scribe Colorsoft is better than any Kindle I've tested to date, it still can't hold a candle to what it feels like to write on the ReMarkable Paper Pro.

That's because the Paper Pro's Color Canvas display is more textured than the Scribe Colorsoft (though they feel equally smooth to the touch) so that when you drag the ReMarkable Marker across the screen it feels and sounds like a pencil scratching across paper.

Maybe not as much as an actual No. 2 pencil would on real notebook paper, but as close to the real thing as to be indistinguishable unless you were doing both side-by-side. The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, by comparison, does give you a bit of texture and resistance when dragging the Premium Pen across the screen but mostly feels like dragging plastic across glass.

Another reason I prefer writing on the ReMarkable Paper Pro over the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is the way annotations work on each device. See, with the ReMarkable Paper Pro you can open pretty much any document or file and start making marks directly on the page using the Paper Pro's 10 different art tools (including a highlighter, marker, pen, pencil, paintbrush and the like) and 9 different colors.

The marks you make on a document stay directly where you put them no matter how you move or change the document, which means you can do things like scratch out words (if you're editing someone's school paper, for example), color in illustrations and doodle on the document wherever you please, just like it was a real piece of paper.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, on the other hand, offers you two ways of marking up documents (besides highlighting passages) and neither feels as intuitive as what you get on ReMarkable slates.

First, you can use the "Active Canvas" feature to jot down notes and annotations directly on a document. However, the Kindle doesn't actually render what you write or draw directly where you put it; instead, it automagically creates a space between the text (between paragraphs or sometimes between sentences) and puts your annotation in an "Active Canvas" between the text. That way, when you scroll around or change the size of the text your note will stay readable between the lines.

The other option to take notes on the Kindle (as of publication) is to use the expandable margins, which let you tap a little arrow icon on the side of the screen to pull out an expandable margin where you can jot down notes tied to the text.

This enables you to make annotations that feel like footnotes, since you can see a little icon that you have a note on this page but can't actually read the note(s) until you open the margin and look at them.

Both of these systems are effective on the Kindle, but they feel a bit like a compromise compared to the ReMarkable Paper Pro's intuitive "write directly on the page and see it" feature. For my money I much prefer the experience of writing on the ReMarkable Paper Pro over the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, but both are perfectly usable.

Kindle Scribe vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Libraries

Now let's talk a bit about what kinds of files you can get on these devices, and how easy they are to access.

If you just want to load them up with your own documents for work, you're in luck: both slates can display PDF and EPUB files with no trouble. ReMarkable has a nice suite of software that makes it easy to quickly drag and drop files to your Paper Pro, but you have to set up additional connections to third-party services (i.e. Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive) to do more advanced tricks like send Google Docs/Slides/Sheets to the slate as PDFs, transferring Word documents, PowerPoint files and more.

One key limitation of the Paper Pro is that it can't easily display DRM-protected ebooks like those you buy in Amazon's Kindle store, so you're limited to buying/downloading ebooks from DRM-free sources.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has the advantage here because you can buy any ebook on the Amazon Kindle store and have it sent directly to your Kindle Scribe Colorsoft in moments, giving it a huge leg up in terms of available content. The Kindle Store is filling up with products specifically for Scribe users too, like ebooks full of Sudoku puzzles you can do right on the screen as well as digital coloring books you can work on using the Scribe Colorsoft's limited palette.

The Scribe Colorsoft also supports Bluetooth while the Paper Pro does not, so you can connect a pair of Bluetooth headphones to the Kindle and use them to listen to your Audible audiobooks on the go. Plus, you can also send files from outside Amazon's walled garden (like term papers and DRM-free ebooks) using the Send to Kindle feature.

So while ReMarkable's Paper Pro is fairly versatile, there's no question that the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has the edge in terms of library access and the convenience of the Kindle Store.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft vs ReMarkable Paper Pro: Bottom line

If you've made it this far you know that while these two $600+ e-paper slates look awfully similar, there are some key differences between them which can help you make the choice between where to spend your money.

For most people I suspect the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is the wiser choice because while it doesn't feel half as nice to write on as the ReMarkable Paper Pro, the Scribe has a brighter screen, more features and easier access to ebooks and other digital goodies via the Kindle Store accessible right on the device.

But for me personally, I think I still prefer the ReMarkable Paper Pro because it just feels so much nicer to use than the Kindle. Sure, the Kindle can feel snappier sometimes and gets brighter, but when I put the stylus on the screen no other tablet I've ever used feels as nice beneath my hands as the ReMarkable Paper Pro. And while I appreciate that the Kindle supports Bluetooth and gives you easy access to the Kindle Store, I'd rather jump through the hoops of loading the ReMarkable up with whatever I want to do (books to read, documents to edit, digital coloring books to fill in) than put up with the inferior writing experience and frustrating Amazon focus of the Kindle.

So if you care about writing and editing above all, I still recommend the Paper Pro. If you just want a fancy e-paper tablet with color for entertainment, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is probably your best bet. And if you just want a great slate for entertainment and don't care about writing or e-paper at all, get an iPad Air—it's just as expensive and way more versatile than either of these (excellent!) e-paper slates.

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Apple's rumored iPad mini 8 is already expected to receive a few substantial upgrades when it eventually arrives, including an OLED display. But now, the small tablet is tipped to receive an even greater boost in performance — one that may also power the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.

The next-gen iPad mini is now rumored to come with an A20 Pro chip, according to leaked internal code shared by tipster Kang on Weibo. Codnamed "Borneo," the A20 Pro is tipped to be Apple's debut of its first 2nm processor, offering more power and efficiency thanks to increased transistor density compared to the 3nm A19 Pro chips found in the iPhone 17 Pro.

Previously, the iPad mini 8 was expected to come equipped with an A19 Pro upgrade — which would already see major performance gains over the A17 Pro in the current iPad mini 7. The A19 Pro is already Apple's most powerful mobile chip to date, sporting a 6-core CPU and 6-core GPU, along with Neural Accelerators built into each core that offer improved AI performance for Apple Intelligence.

However, with the A20 Pro, Apple's next small tablet would see an even higher jump in performance. Based on chipmaker TSMC's 2nm process, the next-gen silicon is expected to deliver a 10-15% increase in speed along with a 20-30% drop in power consumption. That should translate to even more power and longer battery life.

While another tipster on MacRumors also claims the iPad mini 8 will feature the A20 Pro instead of the A19 Pro, there's no telling which chip will arrive, as it could entirely depend on when Apple's next small tablet will launch.

When will the iPad mini 8 launch?

Thanks to a massive Apple leak revealing over 30 products coming, we have a better idea of the Cupertino tech giant's release schedule. However, the iPad mini 8's specific release date is still up in the air — and its launch timing could indicate whether it will receive an A19 Pro or A20 Pro chip.

The iPad mini lineup has had a scattered release schedule. To put that into perspective, the iPad mini 5 launched in March 2019, while the iPad mini 6 arrived in September 2021. Then, the iPad mini 7 came along in October 2024. There's been no new iPad mini release this year (although we did see the iPad Pro M5 launch in October), and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman hasn't indicated we'll see the next iPad mini in early 2026.

If we do see it released in early 2026, however, then it's likely to have the A19 Pro chip, considering Apple likely reserves its annual mobile chip upgrades for its iPhones. But considering a conflicting leak has pointed to a late 2026 launch window, it's now looking likely that the iPad mini 8 will arrive sometime between September and October 2026.

With that being the case, there's a much higher chance that Apple's smallest tablet will feature the A20 Pro chip, keeping up with the next-gen iPhone 18 lineup.

In any case, the iPad mini 8 has some exciting upgrades in store, making one of the best tablets even better. If it does pack an A20 chip, expect it to drop later in 2026. But that's not all Apple has up its sleeve, as it's also rumored to be developing a new iMac Pro powered by an M5 Max chip, along with a cheaper MacBook with an iPhone chip and (finally) an OLED MacBook Pro M6.

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Amazon is rolling out a new generative AI feature for the iOS version of its Kindle app, the digital version of one of the best eReaders. The new “Ask this Book” tool is a chatbot that will provide “spoiler-free” answers about the book’s plot, characters, and more.

The AI feature was announced in a blog post proclaiming that the bot is available for “thousands of English-language best selling” books. .

Amazon is pitching the AI chatbot as an “expert reading assistant” that makes it “easier for you stay immersed in your books.” As you’re reading, you can highlight a portion of the book to get started with the bot.

Ask this Book can seemingly provide a broad array of information from plot details and character relationships to thematic elements, but the company claims it will only reveal information up to your current reading position.

Amazon also announced another AI-based feature, “Recaps”, which is supposed to give you a refresher about book series you’re reading while you wait for the next book or when you’ve taken a prolonged break.

How Ask this book works

According to Amazon, when you highlight a section of your book in the Kindle app you should see a new “Ask” button in the menu. Tapping that button will let you type in a prompt before being placed in a chatbox with the AI.

Additionally, some pre-made suggested queries will be available if you didn’t have a question prepared.

The feature is rolling out to the Kindle iOS app now. As mentioned, the Android Kindle app won’t receive this feature until next year. Additionally, Amazon says it will come to Kindle devices in 2026, though a specific timeline wasn’t provided.

Authors concerned

When it comes to artificial intelligence, there has been a lot of concern about rights and AI’s effects on authors. Most every AI company has been accused of copyright infringement, and Anthropic settled a class action lawsuit with authors earlier this fall.

Insider publication Publisher’s Lunch (via Writer Beware) highlighted the feature earlier this week with concern over the AI bot generating information without permission or rights. The site apparently did not receive a definitive answer from Amazon about the company’s process regarding the AI bot or what rights it relies on.

They did learn that the feature is always on and authors and publishers can not opt out.

“The primary focus has been on preventing unpermissioned AI training, but with the technology embedding itself at warp speed in all aspects of the book business, the rights implications are expanding just as fast,” Writer Beware notes.

This isn’t the first time the company has done something controversial to the Kindle platform this year. Back in February Amazon took away the ability to download Kindle books and back them up on a PC using USB transfer.

Let us know if you believe Ask this Book infringes or will it be a helpful tool for readers?

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RAMageddon is here. As you've no doubt heard (or experienced), the price of RAM has skyrocketed in the space of just a few weeks, with everything from laptops, games consoles, phones, tablets and more seeing a significant surge in cost.

With a huge influx of demand from AI and data center companies scooping up DDR5 RAM and SSD memory, consumers are seeing prices spiking not just for RAM and storage for their computers, but also for everything that uses it. Given the tech industry's infatuation with AI, this problem likely won't end soon.

A lot is happening, and we're here to break it down for you with the latest updates on current price hikes on RAM, how companies like Apple, Samsung, Dell and more are reacting, and our expert advice on what to buy before costs explode further.

RAM crisis: What's happening?

• Massive spikes: Consumer RAM prices have skyrocketed due to a tight supply. Major PC companies have issued warnings of price hikes, with CyberPowerPC stating: "global memory (RAM) prices have surged by 500% and SSD prices have risen by 100%."
• All for AI: The push for increased cloud computing, as seen in the likes of ChatGPT and Gemini, means more data centers are needed, which in turn requires High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). Manufacturers like SK Hynix and Micron are now shifting priorities to make HBM instead of PC RAM.
• Limited supply: Companies are now buying up stock of all the remaining supply of standard DRAM chips, leaving crumbs for the consumer market and price hikes for the limited supply there is.

• Back to the top ⤴

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• Samsung reportedly raises DDR5 RAM prices by 100% with 'no stock' left
• Half-Life 3 and Steam Machine could be delayed — and you can blame the RAM price crisis for that
• MacBook and iPhone prices could rise in 2026, as Apple’s RAM supply advantage begins to fade
• Framework says it will not 'gouge customers like Dell' in RAM price crisis
• RAMageddon is finally coming for your smartphones and laptops according to new report
• It is now cheaper to buy a pre-built gaming PC than building one yourself — this RAM price crisis is only going to get worse from here
• Brace yourself: PCs, laptops and phones may jump in price as early as December thanks to a '500%' RAM/SSD surge
• RAM crisis continues to worsen — Micron kills Crucial consumer memory in favor of AI data centers
• A major RAM price rise will impact laptops, PCs and GPUs in 2026

• Back to the top ⤴

Welcome to the RAMageddon live blog!

Hello, everyone! With RAM prices out of control, we're here to keep you updated on all the latest RAM pricing news and developments. Be sure to bookmark this page so you don't miss out. As we said in the intro, we'll have the latest updates, insight from industry insiders, and our own thoughts on this ongoing situation.

RAMageddon is coming for your smartphones and laptops

Up to this point, the ongoing RAM crisis has been limited to purchasable consumer memory, but it was inevitable that RAMageddon would eventually impact more technology. A new analyst report from TrendForce, the market intelligence and consulting firm, claims that the memory price surge will affect smartphone and laptop manufacturers heading into 2026.

Consequently, according to the report, smartphone companies like Apple and Samsung will likely raise prices while reducing RAM capacity. It could also lead to a reduction in the number of devices actually produced by these companies.

It is now cheaper to buy a pre-built gaming PC than building one yourself

For the first time since we can remember, it’s actually cheaper to get a pre-built PC than it is to build it yourself. It comes down to one key thing: stock. Most retailers and computing brands will have these ready-made and good to go from their warehouses — using the stockpile of RAM and SSDs they already have on their books.

A lot of companies saw this starting to happen and managed to get their orders in early enough to keep themselves sort of protected from what’s happening now, which is why you see the price differential. If you were to buy parts now, you’re buying at the current market price.

Going the DIY route used to be the lower-cost way, because the added cost of the company building it is removed (you build it yourself after all). But the massively rising cost of RAM has brought it to the point where the time to build it yourself is actually more expensive than just getting someone else to do it for you.

Framework slams Dell: Won't 'gouge customers' amid RAM crisis

Framework has called out the likes of Dell and Apple for the huge cost bump between RAM configurations. In a post on X (which appears to have been deleted), the modular laptop maker announced that it will "need to increase memory pricing soon." Now, Framework has announced its own DDR5 RAM price increase of 50%.

"We increased our pricing on the DDR5 memory configurable in Framework Laptop DIY Edition orders by 50% to begin to respond to the substantially higher costs we are facing from suppliers and distributors," Framework states. "The new pricing remains below what is available in the open market."

This comes as no surprise, considering other major laptop makers like Dell and Lenovo are also looking to raise prices. However, Framework started the post with a screenshot of its RAM configuration prices when buying one of its laptops, like the Framework 13 or Framework 16, stating that an upgrade from 16GB to 32GB is $80.

"We won’t use this as an excuse to gouge customers like Dell apparently has and that Apple does as their norm," Framework commented.

Some great laptop deals to beat the RAMageddon blues

With RAM prices continuing to rise, now is the time to take advantage of laptop deals. Below are three laptop deals we recommend you consider, as these prices might not last much longer.

• Apple 13" MacBook Air (M4/256GB): was $999 now $799 at Amazon
• Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI (RTX 5070 Ti): was $1,899 now $1,499 at Best Buy
• Asus Zenbook A14: was $749 now $675 at Amazon

What if the AI bubble bursts?

Many companies and people in general speak about a future run by AI as an inevitability, but what if AI might be a bubble? With all the vendor financing agreements and promises of making money in exchange for burning a whole lot of cash. OpenAI has made $1.5 trillion in chip commitments, while Reuters reports the company has made $12 billion in annual revenue this year.

That’s a big tab, and very bubble-ish in our estimation. So what would happen if all of this money is spent but companies and investors get a reality check that AI won't deliver the future some have predicted? What happens if the return on investment in this AI rollout doesn’t materialize?

Well, two things happen. First, tech companies will slam the brakes on new data center construction and AI scaling. The demand for DRAM and NAND chips will dry up overnight. And second, that will leave warehouses absolutely packed with stock that companies are desperate to sell. At that point, the prices come crashing down to get rid of them all. It will be a systemic shock to the whole industry, and a sharp, severe, rapid end to the RAM pricing crisis. But that's just one possible scenario.

Micron kills Crucial consumer memory in favor of AI data centers

Recently, the first real casualty of RAMageddon was revealed when Micron announced that it will stop selling its Crucial-branded memory and storage in 2026 and “exit the Crucial consumer business in order to improve supply and support for [its] larger, strategic customers in faster-growing segments.”

Simply put: Micron is abandoning the consumer market (PC builders, PC gamers) in favor of AI data centers that have been gobbling up memory and storage at a staggering rate. That only leaves Samsung and SK Hynix as the main two DRAM manufacturers.

Micron’s Crucial brand might be the first casualty in this memory boom but we doubt it will be the only company to pull out of selling consumer-grade RAM and SSDs in favor of AI.

MacBook and iPhone prices could rise in 2026, as Apple’s RAM supply advantage fades

In the face of the RAM price crisis, one company has been notably absent from this conversation of price increases: Apple. However, now the Cupertino crew’s in the spotlight, as a new rumor claims Apple’s long-term agreement for DRAM chips is coming to an end starting in January 2026.

This all started from a post by @Jukan05 on X, who indicated that people are potentially overestimating just how secure Apple’s supply chain management is. This points to their own supply chain checks that Samsung and SK Hynix will be planning to “raise memory prices for Apple starting next January.”

After seeing the likes of Dell and Framework raise prices, as well as a report saying companies may have to downgrade products to keep the cost reasonable, what could Apple do in this situation?

According to Jukan, the company will raise prices “within the first half of next year,” and we believe they’re half right. We think the price increase could hit new announcements, but devices currently on sale should be fine. At least, for the immediate future.

PCs, laptops and phones may jump in price as early as December thanks to a '500%' RAM/SSD surge

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), CyberPowerPC has confirmed that "global memory (RAM) prices have surged by 500% and SSD prices have risen by 100%."

In terms of what this will do to the prices of CyberPowerPC products, the company does go into a little more detail in a response to one X user. "You can expect a system with 1TB SSD + 16GB Memory to increase by $80 and a 2TB SSD + 32GB Memory will increase by $160 for the total system cost," the company commented.

This is an issue that hits all manufacturers, though, and Maingear CEO Wallace Santos has spoken with WCCFTech about the problem.

“We've already seen DRAM prices skyrocket due to the shortages and are holding off those price changes for our customers as long as we can," Santos commented. "For consumers who are interested in getting a new PC or upgrading their current system's GPU, SSD or RAM, they should consider shopping now and looking for offerings that have not seen price increases yet. MAINGEAR is offering pre-built units for Black Friday right now that were sheltered from these price increases.”

"I anticipate that the prices will continue to rise and then we will eventually have to increase our lead times as stock and allocation become constrained, but we are in constant communication with our vendors and will delay these increases for as long as we possibly can.”

Now's the time to load up on RAM (if you can)

I've been reviewing laptops for years, and I think right now we're about to enter one of the worst years to buy a new laptop in a long time.

That's because Dell, Lenovo and other manufacturers are already signaling plans to raise prices in 2026 in order to compensate for the rising cost of DRAM. So if you're planning to buy a laptop in the year ahead, it wouldn't be the worst idea to buy it now before prices climb higher.

With that in mind I wanted to quickly highlight some good deals I just spotted on MSI's Prestige 13+ AI laptops, which are ultra-light Windows 11 ultraportables with 3K OLED displays that are great for getting work done thanks to their 32MB of RAM (great for multi-tasking) and all-day battery life. I don't know how long these deals will last, so you might want to snag one quick if you're interested!

This might be the cheapest MacBooks are for awhile

As I mentioned earlier, we're hearing very believable reports that Apple may need to increase MacBook prices in 2026 in order to compensate for more expensive DRAM. And if that proves true, the incredibly affordable MacBook Air M4 may lose its edge as one of the best laptops you can buy for (roughly) $1,000.

So if you or someone you love is expecting to need a new MacBook in the next few years, now might be a very wise time to snap one up while holiday deals are still running. Case in point: Amazon currently still has both the 13" and 15" MacBook Air M4 for $200 off, which is a sweet savings to get on these laptops offering 16GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage and all-day battery life courtesy of Apple's speedy M4 chip.

Brace yourself for more laptops with 8GB (or less) of RAM

These days it can feel like 8GB of RAM is the absolute bare minimum you should expect in a laptop, and really you want at least 16GB to effectively run Windows 11 and multi-task without wanting to pull your hair out.

Unfortunately, the ongoing RAM supply crisis is likely going to make laptops with 16GB of RAM or more a bit more expensive and scarce in 2026. That's according to a recent report from the folks at industry intelligence firm TrendForce, who project that we will see more and more laptops with 8GB of RAM hitting the market next year as laptop makers try to stretch their RAM supplies and keep affordable notebooks on store shelves.

So if you're thinking of buying a new laptop in the next year or three and don't want to compromise on memory, it's probably wise to buy now!

Now's a great time to get into game streaming

With RAM prices set to keep climbing for the foreseeable future, now's a particularly bad time to try and save money when buying a gaming laptop or building your own gaming PC. It's cheaper to buy a pre-built PC than build one yourself, which is always a bad sign, and I expect high-end gaming laptops with lots of RAM to get more expensive in the year ahead.

But I've been thinking about this all day and I think there's a silver lining here for PC game fans feeling down in the dumps: game streaming is better than it's ever been, and it lets you play the latest and greatest games on any old PC with a good Internet connection.

So if you're despondent about the state of PC gaming, consider checking out some of the best cloud gaming services available right now. We recently ran a really great overview of your options on our TikTok, check it out!

RAM prices continue to climb (with one small reduction)

Kicking off with a price check on RAM, and unfortunately, costs continue to climb. You'll find DDR5 RAM sticks like this 32GB G.SKILL Flare X5 reaching $379 at Amazon right now, and using price tracker CamelCamelCamel shows a sharp rise from its usual sub-$150 price point. The price of RAM has effectively doubled in this example.

That said, there's still some hope. The 32GB T-Force Delta has had a small reduction recently, dropping from a whopping $653 down to $469. Of course, this is still pricey, considering it was around $100 just a month ago, but at the very least, it's good to see a drop rather than another sharp rise.

We'll be keeping an eye on prices as they rise and (hopefully) reduce!

RAM price crisis may have delayed the Steam Machine

It appears RAMageddon is pumping the brakes on the release of the Steam Machine, and yes, even the near-mythical Half-Life 3! Insider Gaming's Mike Straw states that Valve is rumored to still be working on the price of its upcoming gaming PC, and it's thanks to the rising cost of RAM. Apparently, it may now be delayed past its early 2026 release date, and with Half-Life 3 rumored to be a launch game for the Steam Machine, that means one of the biggest releases in PC gaming could also be pushed back.

Of course, this may not be the case, as Valve has yet to officially announce the price of its Steam Machine or anything to do with Half-Life 3. There's still time before it's set to launch in spring 2026, but here's hoping the price hikes on RAM won't bump up the price for the Steam Machine.

Samsung's DDR5 RAM prices reportedly hit 100% hike

Another manufacturer has been hit by the RAM crisis, and this time, its the RAM manufacturer itself: Samsung. According to analyst Jukan on X, Samsung has now raised the contract price of its DDR5 RAM by more than 100%, increasing the cost to $19.50 per unit. Earlier this year, the price was around $7.

Apparently, Samsung has told its customers (OEMs) that there is simply "no stock" available, hence the rise in price. Not only does this mean that manufacturers will have to pay more for the RAM they need, but this will likely cause a knock-on effect to consumers, meaning higher prices for phones, laptops and more in 2026.

Nintendo Switch 2 is getting more expensive to make

That's right, even the Nintendo Switch 2 can't escape RAMageddon. Nintendo has seen a 4.7% dip in stock price, according to Bloomberg, and much of this has to do with the rise in RAM costs. Since the Switch 2 uses 12GB of DDR5X RAM, the console gets pricier to make, and the price has apparently risen by 41%.

Moreover, the NAND flash memory of the Switch 2 has also risen by 8%. Will this increase the price of Nintendo's latest console? Hopefully not, seeing as the gaming giant makes a lot of its profits from its suite of games. But it's clear the RAM crisis is affecting our favorite consoles, too.

Here's who's best positioned for the RAM price surge

New data from Counterpoint Research has shown that the smartphone market will take a hit due to the RAM price surge, suggesting that "global smartphone shipments in 2026 are expected to shrink 2.1% due to rising memory costs." However, some companies will have an easier time managing the RAM storm.

According to the report, Apple and Samsung are "best positioned to weather the next few quarters" when it comes to smartphones, while other OEMs such as Honor, Oppo and Vivo will have a harder time due to lower profit margins. Apparently, the price of smartphones is set to increase by 6.9% worldwide, which won't be ideal for more entry-level smartphones.

As for Apple, the Cupertino tech giant is expected to absorb the cranked-up costs of RAM initially, meaning prices for its suite of tech won't be changed at first. Hopefully, it will be a while before we see that bump in pricing.

'Price will continue to go up,' Kingston rep warns

Kingston, the American tech manufacturer behind flash memory devices, has stated that NAND memory prices have increased by 246% since the start of the year. Talking on The Full Nerd Network podcast (via Tom's Hardware), Kingston's SSD Business Manager Cameron Crandall stated that "prices will continue to go up" and "it's getting worse right now."

Crandall's advice? Don't wait around for a product you need; buy it now. "I think the best thing to do if you’re looking at upgrading your system is to do it now and not wait because prices are going to continue to go up.”

Crandall continues: “My advice today would be to not hold off on that purchase because it will be more expensive 30 days from now, and more likely it will be more expensive 30 days after that.”

The laptop to get before prices soar

Going off what Kingston states, prices of devices (including laptops) are set to hit new highs, so if you're looking for an upgrade or need a laptop to kick off the year, now really is the time to grab one before the RAM price surge affects the cost the best products.

Our top choice? The MacBook Air M4. For it's discounted $799 price (I haven't seen it at its $899 cost for ages now), it's a true work machine that offers value at its finest. And yes, it offers up 16GB of RAM at its lowest price, and seeing as that 16GB is set to be a premium next year (going down to 8GB), it's hard to ignore.

• Apple 13" MacBook Air (M4/16GB/256GB): was $899 now $799 @ Amazon

Crucial is back? Not quite

Earlier this month, one of the biggest RAM manufacturers, Micron, announced that it would stop selling its Crucial-branded memory and storage in 2026. That was all to "improve supply and support for [its] larger, strategic customers in faster-growing segments.” So, AI data centers.

It's strange, then, to find Crucial show up as a stall at the Delhi Comic Con days after Micron killed the brand (via Tom's Hardware). The booth was showcasing Crucial's RAM and SSD products, as shown by images from user Madhav Banka on X, so that may have been one of the last times Crucial was selling its products.

Since Micron suddenly dropped Crucial only days before the Delhi Comic Con event, there's reason to believe this was planned months or even weeks in advance, and the booth went ahead anyway. Surely, Crucial will still have stock of its products to sell after its sudden closure, but don't expect to see Crucial show up at any more events in the future.

When will RAM prices improve?

According to Sapphire PR manager Edward Crisler (via The Hardware Unboxed podcast), prices for RAM will start to drop again in as little as six months. Although Crisler does state that the DRAM situation is in a terrible state, as it may affect customers from buying any part of a PC, he believes that it will only be six to eight months before RAM pricing swings back to understandable pricing.

That said, many analysts have predicted that we could see the effects of the RAM surge all the way until 2028, considering that many of the biggest RAM manufacturers like Samsung and SK Hynix are struggling to meet demands (with the former reportedly stating there's "no stock" and delivering a 100% price bump).

We're only at the start of the RAM surge, so expect prices to only go up from here. But here's hoping it won't last too long, and prices head back to normal.

Samsung denies it's phasing out consumer SSDs

During the weekend, rumors began circulating that Samsung would phase out of the consumer SSD market. Naturally, this caused concern given the ubiquity of Samsung's SSDs for PC and consoles alike. However, in an exclusive statement to Wccftech, a Samsung spokesperson has denied these rumors.

"The rumor regarding the phasing out of Samsung SATA or other SSDs is false," said the Samsung spokesperson.

While that's comforting to hear, it's hard to predict what companies will do as RAMageddon continues. However, for the near future, you will still be able to purchase Samsung's SSDs.

Samsung reportedly raises DDR5 RAM prices by 100% with 'no stock' left

Even if Samsung isn't phasing out its consumer SSDs, the company is still being affected by RAMageddon. According to analyst Jukan on X, Samsung has now raised the contract price of its DDR5 RAM by more than 100%, increasing the cost to $19.50 per unit. Earlier this year, the price was around $7, making this a massive spike.

The contract price refers to the bulk pricing agreements between DRAM manufacturers (like Samsung) and large buyers, such as Dell, HP and more. The analyst also mentions that the Korean tech giant has bumped up the cost of last-gen DDR4 RAM to $18, meaning even older RAM sticks will be priced similarly to DDR5.

As per Taiwanese reports, Samsung has told its customers (OEMs) that there is simply "no stock" available, hence the rise in price. Not only does this mean that manufacturers will have to pay more for the RAM they need, but this will likely cause a knock-on effect to consumers, meaning higher prices for phones, laptops and more in 2026.

Along with SK Hynix and Micron, Samsung is among the biggest manufacturers of DRAM. And now, with Micron moving to AI data centers over RAM, companies have no choice but to put up with the rising price of RAM for their upcoming devices. Unfortunately, this means consumers will inevitably see a rise in prices.

PCs, laptops and phones may jump in price thanks to a '500%' RAM/SSD surge

CyberPowerPC has confirmed that "global memory (RAM) prices have surged by 500% and SSD prices have risen by 100%."

In terms of what this will do to the prices of CyberPowerPC products, the company does go into a little more detail in a response to one X user. "You can expect a system with 1TB SSD + 16GB Memory to increase by $80 and a 2TB SSD + 32GB Memory will increase by $160 for the total system cost," the company commented.

RAM and storage are must-haves for just about anything. As a result, everything from phones to laptops, and desktop PCs and their key components like GPUs are expected to see big price climbs.

This could also have big consequences for gamers in particular. While reports have suggested the next PlayStation and Xbox consoles are in development, this chip demand could see price hikes for existing systems — something Microsoft has had to deal with twice in 2025 already.

Get a MacBook Air to beat the RAMageddon blues

We've suggested buying the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 right now since it's possible that MacBook prices will rise due to RAMageddon. We're doing so again for those who might have missed our earlier posts. If you want the most affordable new MacBook, the Air is it!

• Apple 13" MacBook Air (M4): was $999 now $799 at Amazon

Xbox could face another price hike

Xbox consoles could face another price hike, according to YouTube and leaker Moore's Law is Dead (via TGP). According to MLiD, this is because Microsoft didn't plan.

“If you still want an Xbox for some reason at their current pricing, those prices could go up soon, or supply could just entirely dry up because multiple sources of mine have apparently been warned by sales reps at Microsoft that this is going to affect the Xbox Series consoles very, very soon. Sooner rather than later," said Tom of MLiD.

Given how all Xbox consoles now cost more than they did at launch five years ago, it will make it even harder to justify buying Microsoft's console.

Cloud gaming gift cards make great stocking stuffers right now!

With RAM prices set to keep climbing for the foreseeable future, now's a particularly bad time to buy a new gaming PC. But as we get down to the wire on holiday shopping, I wanted to remind you that game streaming is better than it's ever been, and it lets you (or the PC game fan on your list) play the latest and greatest games on any old PC with a good Internet connection.

So if you're despondent about the state of PC gaming, consider checking out some of the best cloud gaming services available right now and gifting a few months' worth of gaming to someone you love!

Price check!

Another day, another round of RAM price hikes on Amazon. Compared to yesterday, the RAM sticks I've been tracking haven't budged, so the 32GB G.SKILL Flare X5 Series DDR5 is still slightly down to its $379 cost (from $87 at its lowest), while the 32GB T-Force Delta RGB DDR5 also dropped to its now $469 price point (from $94 at its lowest a few months ago). While they're reduced, that's after skyrocketing in price over the past few weeks.

Reports suggest that RAMageddon won't end anytime soon, and as stock dwindles, expect these sticks to continue to climb (or at least stay at the price they're at). Checking out DDR4 RAM, you'll find the same price hikes are happening. This 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 is now at $170, despite being just $47 back in June. At least it's not at its highest ($207) yet, which was back in 2021.

We'll continue to keep tabs on the latest updates on all things RAM crisis, so keep it right here.

RAM crisis expected to last until 2028

SK Hynix, one of the biggest manufacturers of RAM, reportedly claims that the RAM shortage will last all the way until 2028. This comes from internal analysis shared by BullsLab Jay on X, with the post stating, "excluding HBM and SOCAMM, supply bit growth for commodity DRAM is projected to be constrained through 2028."

It's also noted that, despite low inventory being "depleted to minimum levels," production will still see limited growth. This indicates that RAM will continue to be in limited supply, and prices won't ease in the meantime.

Of course, there are many predictions on how long the RAM crisis will last, as a Sapphire rep previously mentioned that it may only last as little as six months. For now, though, expect raised prices to stick for the foreseeable future.

Scan Computers CEO: 'It's just another market cycle'

Speaking with Tom's Guide, CEO of Scan Computers (Scan UK) Elan Raja speaks of the current RAM crisis and takes an outside look at the market, speaking of past events that saw RAM prices surge, including the RAM Drought in 1988 and in 2016 to 2018 when smartphone growth and server demand saw DRAM prices nearly triple.

"It's just chaotic. There are tariffs in the U.S. and so on, and there are certain things which are just completely outside of anyone's control, and that is supply and demand," Raja states. "The way how I view it is it's over a long period of time, it's just another market cycle. You call it cyclical and it typically it's not maybe over a period of one year, but if you were to stretch it out over a long period of time, it's a blip."

Raja continues: "PC gaming's never been as strong, and when you consider that, people are now spending £1,000+ on a graphics card because of the difference in value of what you get from a GPU as a percentage and as relative to that. DRAM will just go with its market cycle. It's uncomfortable for the market, but one thing is for sure, it's worldwide. The demand's always going to be there in my opinion."

Essentially, if the market continues, we'll get high demand and high prices, which will lead to new fabs and then to oversupply, then an eventual collapse in prices again. That is, if this is part of the cycle we've come to know over the years.

Worried about RAM for gaming? Get it for less now

RAM price hikes are coming for virtually all the tech we use, and if you're a gamer (or power user), the more you have, the better. Costs are set to soar, and previous reports even indicate that 8GB of RAM on laptops may become the entry point, and 16GB will be a premium. That's why it's a good idea to consider grabbing deals on gaming laptops right now, and one that stands out is this Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI that's now $450 off at Best Buy.

It's one of the most affordable RTX 5070 Ti gaming laptops around, thanks to that discount, even if it's still pricey. However, with its 32GB of DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD and Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, not to mention a gorgeous 16-inch QHD (2560 x 1600) OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate, this laptop will last you for years to come (and hopefully past the RAM crisis).

• Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI: was $1,899 now $1,449 @ Best Buy

Will iPhone and MacBook prices rise?

According to Counterpoint Research, Apple is one of the few companies best positioned to overcome the price hikes set by the RAM crisis. However, there's still a chance MacBook and iPhone prices could rise in 2026, especially rumored models like the M5 MacBook Air and iPhone 18 lineup.

As analyst Jukan on X suggests, the long-term agreements the Cupertino tech giant has in place are "expiring," and the likes of Samsung and SK Hynix are "planning to raise memory prices for Apple starting next January." It's been reported that Samsung has raised the contract price of its RAM by 100%, so this now seems more likely.

While current iPhone, iPad and MacBook models should be just fine, it appears that upcoming products may see a price increase. Or worse, see lower RAM in entry-level configurations, although I doubt this will be the case. All that said, since Apple develops in-house chips, it could absorb the rising DRAM costs and keep price hikes at bay for a while (as Counterpoint hints at). Either way, RAMageddon could hit Apple eventually, so prepare for pricier products.

Another 32GB laptop worth grabbing (for less!)

If you're not a fan of MacBooks and prefer even more RAM in a Windows laptop, then I highly recommend the MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo. It's one of the lightest laptops around, and it packs plenty of power. And yes, this deal comes with a whopping 32GB of RAM, making it all the more worth it. It sports a 13.3-inch OLED display, an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, 32GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, which is a welcome touch.

• MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo: was $1,399 now $1,259 @ Amazon

Will 4GB of RAM in smartphones return?

With the latest TrendForce report, the global market intelligence sit suggests that we could see entry-level smartphone return to 4GB of RAM — despite see up to 8GB of RAM generally being the minimum. That's a huge setback, and as Counterpoint Research analysis indicates, this could be coming to many smartphone brands.

Will many be reducing specs to keep up with the ongoing rise of costs? We'd like to think not, but as "memory prices are projected to rise sharply again in the first quarter of 2026," TrendForce states, this may be the case. So, it may be a while before we see proper upgrades on phones and laptops when it comes to RAM, with the latter's mid-range specs now apparently shifting to just offering 8Gb instead of the usual 16GB.

Buy now or wait for prices to return to normal?

We've heard plenty about how the memory shortage will raise the price of phones, laptops, consoles and more, and it's now already cheaper to buy a pre-built gaming PC than building one yourself.

That said, many devices are still at their usual prices (if not less, thanks to holiday sales), so it makes it a good time to grab a phone or laptop you've had your eye on before costs shift, stock runs out or next-gen products jump in price.

Is it a good time to buy now or is it worth waiting for the RAM crisis to blow over? Let us know your thoughts!

A quick explainer on the RAM crisis

If you're wondering why RAM prices are skyrocketing, here's an easy way to think about it (and if you like apples, you'll enjoy this explanation more):

Think of the production of RAM like an apple orchard. The critical chips at the center of all this are DRAM (the apples), and there are only three key orchards to buy apples from: Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron Technology control around 95% of the global DRAM production collectively.

Things are ticking along well — the weather has been perfect for growing plenty of apples for stable production with high yields, and the demand remained at a solid level from consumers to make a whole lot of apple pie. That means these companies can collectively decide a reasonable price for the apples and keep everyone happy.

Now imagine that a global apple pie maker swoops in and buys all the apples. This is the AI data center boom, which is largely driven by the massive increase in demand from the likes of Oracle and AWS. To run AI as speedily as you see in the likes of ChatGPT-5 and Google Gemini 3, you need super-fast memory, which comes from RAM and SSDs (by the way, SSD chips will also be impacted, but that’s a different story).

These orchards are unable to keep up with the demand, which creates a massive seasonal drought and forces customers desperate for RAM to wave whatever money they have and beg for the few remaining apples.

Nvidia reportedly cutting GPU production by 40% in 2026

It appears Nvidia is getting prepared for the impact of the RAM crisis, as it's now been reported that Team Green will be ramping down production of its discrete GPUs by 40% (via PC Gamer). This comes from the Chinese Board Channels forum, stating that RTX 50-series graphics cards will be reduced by 30%-40% in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year.

However, this may not be due to a lack of supply. With RAMageddon resulting in a lack of DRAM for PCs, laptops and more, Nvidia may be bracing for manufacturers to deliver fewer products with RTX 50-series GPUs fitted inside. There's already plenty of stock of Team Green's GPUs going around, even if RTX 5090 and some RTX 5080 graphics cards are near-impossible to come by at MSRP.

Perhaps there's already enough in production that meets demand, but of course, as the RAM crisis continues, seeing fewer RTX GPUs on shelves isn't ideal. And the more VRAM a GPU has, the higher the price, which isn't going to be a good look when rumored RTX 50 Super graphics cards with higher video memory are expected to arrive in 2026.

RAMageddon got you down? Get a MacBook Air for cheap!

MacBooks have been immune to increased RAM prices, but that might not last long. To that end, we suggest the 13-inch MacBook Air M4, which is currently on sale for $200 off.

• Apple 13" MacBook Air (M4): was $999 now $799 at Amazon

Kingston says it has seen a 246% increase in NAND wafer prices

Kingston expects SSD prices to rise in 2026 and confirms that the company has seen a 246% increase in NAND wafer prices.

In a recent appearance on The Full Nerd Network podcast(per PC Gamer), Kingston's Datacentre SSD Business Manager Cameron Crandall said he has seen a "246% increase in NAND pricing as compared to Q1 of 2025." Crandall has worked at Kingston for 29 years, and he has never seen NAND wafer prices spike so rapidly in such a short time.

NAND flash chips account for roughly 90% of an SSD's cost, which means the price of storage will rise in the coming weeks and potentially beyond if the current trend continues. Crandall is telling folks to buy storage now because prices will continue going up. We agree with that advice!

RAMageddon could delay the Steam Machine... and Half-Life 3

Valve's Steam Machine is gearing up to be a hugely anticipated launch in early 2026, but thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis, we may have to wait longer to get our hands on it. And now, it could also mean one of the biggest releases in PC gaming could be pushed back: Half-Life 3.

As noted by Insider Gaming's Mike Straw in its podcast, Valve is still working out the price of its Steam Machine in response to the price hikes set by RAMageddon. Unfortunately, this may delay the launch of the small gaming PC past its expected spring 2026 release, and this is backed up by the long-awaited Half-Life 3 missing key reveal dates.

"Every single date that they were told has passed," said Straw in the Insider Gaming podcast. "Everybody I've talked to is still adamant this is a game that will be a launch title with the Steam Machine. There is a concern, however, that they haven't decided on price... and the reason is because of PC RAM prices and storage prices right now."

Pre-built PCs are become cheaper than ones you build yourself

During normal times, a PC you've built yourself would be easier on your wallet than a pre-built computer like an Alienware. Unfortunately, we no longer live in normal times, as RAMageddon is now making it cheaper to buy a pre-built rig!

This is because most retailers and computing brands will have these PCs ready-made and good to go from their warehouses — using the stockpile of RAM and SSDs they already have on their books.

A lot of companies saw this RAM crisis starting to happen and managed to get their orders in early enough to keep themselves sort of protected from what’s happening now, which is why you see the price differential. If you were to buy parts now, you’re buying at the current market price.

Going the DIY route used to be the lower-cost way, because the added cost of the company building it is removed (you build it yourself after all). But the massively rising cost of RAM has brought it to the point where the time to build it yourself is actually more expensive than just getting someone else to do it for you.

With RAM prices spiking, now's the time to check out cloud gaming

Whether you buy or a build a new gaming PC in 2026, chances are it's going to be more expensive than usual because of the spiking prices on DRAM and storage.

I've been writing about laptops and desktops for years and unfortunately, my experience tells me this won't be over soon. Maybe I'm misguessing, but after watching how long it took GPU prices to settle down during first the heyday of crypto mining and then the COVID-19 global quarantine, I expect we won't see RAM prices return to "normal" for at least a year or so.

So while that makes now a bad time to build or upgrade a gaming PC, it's a great time to experiment with streaming games to older hardware. The best cloud gaming services (like GeForce Now) can run modern games on top-tier hardware for you for a reasonable fee, and I bet now's a great time to snap up some gift memberships for yourself or someone on your shopping list!

Price check!

Uh oh. It was bound to happen, but the price of RAM continues to shoot up. Over the past few days, the 32GB G.SKILL Flare X5 Series DDR5 has increased to $379. But today, it's reached $399 at Amazon. That's the highest it's ever been, and let it be known that earlier this year, you could swipe the RAM sticks for just under $100.

At least the other RAM I'm tracking hasn't budged, as the 32GB T-Force Delta RGB DDR5 is still at its somewhat reduced $469 price. "Somehwat" meaning it was $94, shot up to $650, and is now reduced. Interestingly, the 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 RAM I'm keeping tabs on is now out of stock! And that topped at $170 at Amazon (from $47 at its lowest).

It's clear RAM prices are rising by the day, and as we've heard, it's only getting more expensive (or running out). We'll see how this eventually impacts the rest of the industry when it comes to phones, laptops and more soon enough.

Catch up on the latest

Over the past day, there were plenty of shifts on the market all related to the RAM crisis. In case you missed it, here's a rundown of the biggest updates.

• Flash memory pricing is skyrocketing: Kingston expects SSD prices to rise in 2026 and confirms that the company has seen a 246% increase in NAND wafer prices.
• Nvidia is reducing GPU production by 40% in 2026, reports say: It seems Team Green is preparing for VRAM limitations and less demand for its GPUs, as RTX 50-series graphics cards will reportedly be reduced by 30%-40% in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year.
• Scan Computers CEO states, "it's just another market cycle." Speaking with Tom's Guide, CEO of Scan Computers (Scan UK) Elan Raja, says, "the way I view it is it's over a long period of time, it's just another market cycle."
• RAM crisis expected to last until 2028: With low inventory and limited growth in production, SK Hynix, one of the biggest manufacturers of RAM, reportedly claims that the RAM shortage will last all the way until 2028.

What happens if the AI bubble bursts?

What would happen if all of this money is spent on RAM for AI, but companies and investors get a reality check that AI won't deliver the future some have predicted? What happens if the return on investment in this AI rollout doesn’t materialize?

Well, two things happen. First, tech companies will slam the brakes on new data center construction and AI scaling. The demand for DRAM and NAND chips will dry up overnight. And second, that will leave warehouses absolutely packed with stock that companies are desperate to sell.

At that point, the prices come crashing down to get rid of them all. It will be a systemic shock to the whole industry, and a sharp, severe, rapid end to the RAM pricing crisis. But that's just one possible scenario.

A Meta Quest price increase may be coming

According to a leaked memo, Meta is planning to raise prices on its VR devices, like the Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S. Apparently, this is due to extending the sustainability of its VR headsets, but with RAM prices going up and affecting all types of tech (the Quest 3 and 3S sport 8GB of RAM), this could be a contributing factor, too.

"Our devices will be more premium in price going forward, but we'll have a healthier business to anchor on and free ourselves from feeling existential about any singular device's success," the memo reads.

The memo reportedly comes from new Metaverse execs Gabriel Aul and Ryan Cairns, who insist the company needs to “make a shift” to sustain its VR headsets. Alongside price increases, a new focus will be on accounting for tariffs and extending the replacement cycle of the devices.

PC gamers, make the most of this gaming laptop deal

RAM prices are getting scarily high, but at least not on laptops and the like (just yet). In the meantime, we've got holiday sales to enjoy, and for PC gamers, you'll want to check out this HP Omen 16 sporting the latest specs (and 16GB of DDR5 RAM) with a $505 discount at Best Buy. That takes the price of this strong laptop down to $974, and anything under $1,000 for a laptop sporting an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H CPU, RTX 5060 GPU and 1TB SSD is well worth jumping on. Even better, its 16-inch 2K 144Hz display offers plenty of wiggle room for gameplay.

• HP Omen 16 (RTX 5060): was $1,479 now $974 @ Best Buy

70% would prefer to upgrade tech after prices return to normal

In a recent poll asking if you would buy now to escape the RAM price hikes on tech, it turns out 70% of you would prefer to wait to upgrade your tech after prices return to normal, rather than buying new devices right now.

With prices already on the rise, and next year bringing a selection of next-gen phones, laptops and more, it's more than reasonable to save cash now and wait it out for costs to drop again (hopefully it won't last until 2028). Of course, there's still 30% that would buy now, and if you're planning to do so, it's best to find the best holiday sales and get grabbing.

You can still cast your vote if you haven't yet. Let us know what you think!

RAM company G.Skill comments on RAM crisis

G.Skill, the Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturing company, has now released a statement on the ongoing memory shortage, explaining why its DRAM memory prices increased so much recently, as of Q4 2025.

"DRAM prices are experiencing significant industry-wide volatility, due to severe global supply constraints and shortages, driven by unprecedented high demand from the AI industry," G.Skill says.

"As a result, G.Skill procurement and sourcing costs have substantially increased. G.Skill pricing reflect industry-wide component cost increases from IC suppliers and is subject to change without notice based on market conditions. Purchasers should be mindful of the pricing before purchasing. Thank you."

Essentially, the company can't help but raise prices, and warns customers that costs aren't going to be ideal.

Is this where all the memory is going?

So, Nvidia just announced its RTX Pro 5000 72GB Blackwell GPU for desktops is now more widely available, primed for AI developers, data scientists and creative professionals. That's right, 72GB of GDDR7 VRAM, which is 50% more than the usual 48GB model. Sure, it will power through pro-level demands for agentic AI and the like with its 2,142 TOPS of AI performance, but is this where all the RAM is going?

Nvidia is reportedly reducing GPU production by 40% in 2026, and it may be to power up its latest Pro-level Blackwell GPUs. Either way, this is more for developers, engineers and designers at a professional level rather than consumers, but it's interesting how Nvidia is looking to use memory during the RAM crisis.

Fan of VR? With Meta reportedly increasing prices, jump on this deal

Since Meta is reportedly raising the prices of its Quest VR headsets next year, whether it's to do with the RAM shortage or not, it's probably a good time to finally grab yourself one of the finest standalone VR headsets around. Right now, that includes the Meta Quest 3S down to its lowest price ever at $249. Better yet, both the 128GB and 256GB models come with some of the best VR games around completely for free, such as The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners and Batman: Arkham Shadow. If you're planning to grab one anyway, it's well worth investing now before prices shoot up.

• Meta Quest 3S + The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (128GB): was $299 now $249 @ Best Buy
• Meta Quest 3S + Batman: Arkham Shadow (256GB): was $399 now $349 @ Best Buy

Take advantage of this MacBook Air deal

MacBooks haven't been affected by the RAM crisis, but that doesn't mean they always will be. To that end, we recommend buying the 13-inch MacBook Air M4, which is currently on sale for $250 off. We don't know when (or if) MacBook prices will go up due to RAMageddon, but it's best not to wait till the last minute

• 13" MacBook Air M4: was $999 now $749 @ Amazon

A great Windows laptop to beat the RAMageddon blues

If you're looking for a great Windows laptop and don't need the latest and greatest, we suggest the still great Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge.

This laptop impresses thanks to its vibrant 16-inch OLED display, lightweight design, strong Snapdragon X Elite performance, and roomy keyboard. Though it has lesser battery life than other Copilot+ PCs, its positives offset its weaknesses. This is a fine laptop to get if you don't want to pay an exorbitant amount for RAM.

• Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge: $799 now $549 @ Best Buy

Could Valve delay the Steam Machine?

Valve's Steam Machine is gearing up to be a hugely anticipated launch in early 2026, but thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis, we may have to wait longer to get our hands on it. And now, it could also mean one of the biggest releases in PC gaming could be pushed back: Half-Life 3.

As noted by Insider Gaming's Mike Straw in its podcast, Valve is still working out the price of its Steam Machine in response to the price hikes set by RAMageddon. Unfortunately, this may delay the launch of the small gaming PC past its expected spring 2026 release, and this is backed up by the long-awaited Half-Life 3 missing key reveal dates.

"Every single date that they were told has passed," said Straw in the Insider Gaming podcast. "Everybody I've talked to are still adament this is a game that will be a launch title with the Steam Machine. There is a concern, however, that they haven't made a decision on price... and the reason is because of PC RAM memory prices and storage prices right now."

Things could get worse for gaming consoles

According to Circana (via Windows Central), which regularly tracks and reports on industry sales, November 2025 marked the worst November for U.S. hardware sales since 1995. That's not good news, considering November is when console sales tend to pick up. The increasing cost of consoles is no doubt a reason, as the average price of hardware like the Xbox Series X and PS5 rose by 11% year over year.

While the above isn't directly related to RAMageddon, the latter certainly won't help matters as we head into 2026. If the RAM crisis doesn't improve, then we could see a further decline in console sales if said consoles become even more expensive.

Price check!

The prices just keep getting higher. It's clear that the daily increases are in force, showing the RAM crisis is in full swing. Take the 32GB G.SKILL Flare X5 Series DDR5 I've been tracking on Amazon, which just yesterday increased to $399. Right now, it's jumped to $419, and it only looks to climb even higher.

As for the 32GB T-Force Delta RGB DDR5, that's still set at its $469 price point, but as a reminder, it spiked to $650 after being just under $100 only a few months ago. As for the DDR4 side of things, the 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 RAM is still out of stock, peaking at $170 from its usual sub-$50 cost.

Framework is raising prices again

Framework, the manufacturer behind customizable PCs, has announced another price hike, this time for storage. After Framework announced a 50% cost rise for its RAM from suppliers, the same is now happening to SSDs. For example, the WD_Black storage the company provides is up across the board, with Notebookcheck seeing up to a €35 rise in price.

Currently, the 500GB model on Framework's customization page is at $99. For the same SSD on Amazon, this is now discounted to $82. It's just another sign that RAM isn't the only component that's seeing sky-high pricing, as memory is also on the rise.

Speaking of storage hikes, grab this SanDisk SSD before prices soar

Since it isn't just RAM that's seeing price hikes, those looking for extra storage on their phone, laptop and other devices may want to look at upgrading their space before SSD prices skyrocket. For content creators, you should look at the SanDisk Creator Phone SSD. Not only does it transfer data post-haste thanks to its 1,000MB/s read/write speeds, but it's also a MagSafe-compatible storage expansion, making it a great pick for iPhone users.

It's already gone up in price, but only by $5. So, if you're after a way to upgrade your storage, this one is worth looking at.

• SanDisk Creator Phone SSD (1TB): $149 @ Amazon
• SanDisk Creator Phone SSD (1TB): £116 @ Amazon

RAM is costing more than a PS5

After looking at prices for RAM across Amazon, it hit me that these costs aren't just skyrocketing; they're blowing past the devices that actually use RAM, too. Take the 32GB T-Force Delta RGB DDR5 at Amazon that now costs $469, or the 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Royal Neo Series DDR5 that's now at $499. These were both under $150 just a few months ago, and now, they're both more than a PS5 Slim.

At the time of writing, the PS5 Slim is now as little as $399 at Best Buy after a discount, and this PS5 bundle with a disc drive is $449. It shows just how dire the RAM market is right now. Why build a PC when you can grab a console for the same price as RAM?

The RAM crisis is impacting game development, too

Even game developers are having a hard time managing the RAM crisis. In an interview with TheGamer, Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke talked about how the Baldur's Gate 3 development team is now changing course to optimize it's upcoming Divinity game for devices with limited RAM and VRAM.

"It kind of ruins all of your projections that you had about it because normally, you know the curves, and you can protect the hardware," Vincke said in the interview. "It means that most likely, we already need to do a lot of optimization work in early access that we didn't necessarily want to do at that point in time. So it's challenging, but it's video games."

As Vincke notes, this is to do with "the price of RAM and the price of SSDs," as Larian Studios prepares its likely demanding, high-quality title for PCs with limited RAM and SSD space.

In case you missed it

Here's a round-up of the latest we've heard about the RAM crisis, as there's quite a few updates going around.

• Nvidia announced its RTX Pro 5000 72GB Blackwell GPU: That's a lot of VRAM. Is that where all the RAM is going?
• A Meta Quest price increase may be coming: According to a leaked memo, Meta is planning to raise prices on its VR devices, like the Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S.
• RAM company G.Skill comments on RAM crisis: The Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturing company has now released a statement on the ongoing memory shortage, explaining why its DRAM memory prices increased so much recently, as of Q4 2025.
• Framework is raising prices again: The customizable PC manufacturer has announced another price hike, this time for storage.

More people will wait for the RAM crisis to end before buying

I asked, and you answered. In terms of buying tech now or waiting for the RAM crisis to blow over, now 75% of you would prefer to do the latter. Seeing as RAM is already on the rise, that makes sense. Apparently, according to RAM manufacturer SK Hynix, the RAM shortage will last all the way until 2028. It may take a while (hopefully not), but with the way prices are going now, it's well worth using your hard-earned cash wisely.

Get a MacBook Air to beat the RAMageddon blues

For those who do want to buy now before prices rise, there are still plenty of options. We've suggested buying the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 right now since it's possible that MacBook prices will rise due to RAMageddon. We're doing so again for those who might have missed our earlier posts. If you want the most affordable new MacBook, the Air is it!

• Apple 13" MacBook Air (M4): was $999 now $749 at Amazon

I’ve used the best Kindles for years, with the Kindle Paperwhite being my go-to tablet for reading my favorite novels. That’s going to change, as I’ve fallen in love with the new Kindle Scribe after using and testing it for the better part of a week. Though I won’t completely abandon the Paperwhite, the Kindle Scribe is now the main Kindle I’ll use, both for reading novels and black and white comics.

What’s so great about Amazon’s latest e-reader? While it doesn’t have a color e-paper display like the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, the new standard Scribe features a more streamlined design than its predecessors. The tablet’s lightweight design makes it comfortable to hold for long periods of time. The 11-inch display and its auto-brightness feature also enable me to read without much (if any) eye strain.

You can read my full Kindle Scribe (2025) review for more details, but here are some thoughts on why the new Scribe is now my favorite Kindle model — and why my Kindle Paperwhite might not get as much attention as usual.

Easier reading

With the right font size and spacing, you can reasonably approximate the experience of reading a mass-market paperback on a Kindle Paperwhite. It reminds me of the days when I used to buy these small (and cheap) novels from the local pharmacy.

I don't read physical books as much as I used to, but when I do, I now tend toward the larger paperback or hardcovers since they’re easier to read than mass-market paperbacks. Going back to the comparatively smaller Kindle Paperwhite can be jarring.

This is no longer an issue with the Kindle Scribe, since its screen is either as large or larger than that of a standard paperback or hardcover. And like I said in my Kindle Scribe review, the default font size and line spacing make for comfortable reading out of the box. Don’t get me wrong, I fiddled with the settings to see what I preferred (since I always do this with a new Kindle). In the end, I just settled for default since it’s practically perfect.

I almost always turn off the front lights on a Kindle since I like reading near a light source the same way I would when reading a real book. I mostly do this on the Kindle Scribe, though I sometimes switch its front lights on so that the display matches the white bezels surrounding it. I actually wish the bezels were black, but that’s a minor complaint. Regardless, whether it's with the display’s front lights on or off, the Kindle isn’t scorching my eyes as the display on something like an iPad Pro M5 would.

Comfortable to hold

The Kindle Scribe’s aluminum body makes it feel more premium than the Paperwhite, which has a plastic chassis. I don’t dislike the latter, especially since its rubbery backside makes it comfortable to hold, but I just like the Scribe’s smooth and sturdy chassis more. It’s also very light to hold, and is actually a tad lighter than an 11-inch iPad Air M3 (14.1 ounces vs 16.2 ounces, respectively).

I mostly hold the Kindle Paperwhite with two hands as I would a real book, but I do occasionally prefer holding it in one hand. Though it’s not hard to hold the Scribe this way, I can only comfortably hold it for so long before my arm and wrist get tired. This is one of the few downsides when reading, but it’s not a deal-breaker since I generally use two hands anyway.

Another minor complaint is that the Scribe’s aluminum chassis can get pretty cold now that winter is approaching. Obviously, the Scribe’s back warms up as I hold it, but initially picking it up in between sessions isn’t always fun for my fingers. I’m considering purchasing the Amazon Kindle Scribe Folio Cover to alleviate this issue.

Versatility

Kindles are fantastic for reading books, but they’re not so great for comics since their screens are smaller than a comic’s page. Manga (black and white Japanese comics) aren’t as bad to read on a Kindle Paperwhite, but I enjoy reading this kind of book more on an iPad mini since the screen is larger and there’s better contrast between the white pages and black ink. Things are different on a Kindle Scribe, however.

The Scribe’s 11-inch e-paper display is roughly the same size as a standard American comic book page. That size, combined with the screen’s sharp 300ppi resolution and paper-like appearance, makes for an enjoyable comic book reading experience. Naturally, manga also looks fantastic on the Kindle Scribe. Of course, the main downside here is that all comics are in black and white. If you want color, you’ll need the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

I appreciate that the Kindle Scribe has expanded my reading options since it can expertly handle novels and black and white comics. It’ll be more convenient than always switching between a Kindle and an iPad to accommodate the kind of book I’m reading at the moment.

Read on!

The Kindle Scribe's main selling point is that it's a Kindle you can write or draw on. While that aspect works as intended, that's actually the least interesting feature since I don't like writing by hand. If that's what you're looking for with the Kindle Scribe, then you won't be disappointed when taking notes or doodling. For me, however, it's all about the reading experience, and the Scribe excels at that.

I was smitten the instant I unboxed the Kindle Scribe, and that feeling hasn’t diminished over the subsequent days. I’m still fond of the Kindle Paperwhite, and will no doubt use it when I’m on a cramped airplane ride to CES next month. But aside from specific situations, the Kindle Scribe will now be my go-to Kindle for novels and black and white comics.

More from Tom's Guide

• Real books are good, but Kindles are better
• How to set and manage bookmarks on Kindle
• This one Kindle Colorsoft shortcoming is getting under my skin

The new Amazon Kindle Scribe ($499) delivers meaningful improvements over its predecessors. Featuring a more streamlined design, larger e-paper display, and easier-to-access notes, it’s arguably the best standard Kindle Scribe yet.

I’ve been a Kindle Paperwhite user for years, so reading my favorite novels on the expansive 11-inch e-paper display has been a revelation. The 300ppi resolution makes everything from written text to black and white comic books appear sharp and defined. I appreciate not being forced to adjust the font and spacing to get a better reading experience. I get that right out of the box.

The lightweight design is another highlight. The Scribe is so light in my hands that it makes the 11-inch iPad Air M3 feel bulky in comparison. I also appreciate the sturdy aluminum chassis that makes this device feel more premium than a Kindle Paperwhite. Though I wish the bezels were a tad thinner, they’re thick enough to let you comfortably hold the device without having your thumbs on the actual display.

Writing is generally satisfying thanks to the chunky included stylus and how there’s virtually no lag when you write. The Quick Notes section on the Home screen allows you to instantly jot down or draw whatever comes to mind at the moment. Unfortunately, annotating text is as clunky and unintuitive as ever.

Faults aside, the new Kindle Scribe is an overall satisfying update. If you’re a Kindle fan who wants a device for taking notes and drawing, this and the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft are excellent (if expensive) options. And if you’re not a notetaker or artist, you’ll have an enjoyable experience reading novels and black and comics on this device. I’ll explain further in my full Kindle Scribe review.

Kindle Scribe (2025) review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Kindle Scribe (2025) is an e-reader that allows you to take digital notes with its included stylus and to read books from the Kindle store. This updated model features a thinner design, a larger display, and a snappier interface.
• Who is it for? This tablet is for anyone who wants an e-reader that also allows them to take notes or draw.
• What does it cost? The Kindle Scribe (2025) starts at $499 for the 32GB model and $549 for the 64GB variant. You can purchase it from Amazon.
• What do we like? I like the lightweight design, sharp 11-inch display, and seamless integration with the Kindle store and Goodreads.
• What don’t we like? Annotating text is clunky and unintuitive. The Kindle Scribe also costs as much as an 11-inch iPad Air M3 but does less.

Kindle Scribe (2025) review: Specs

Kindle Scribe (2025) review: The ups

The Kindle Scribe (2025) impresses thanks to its thin and sturdy design, sharp 11-inch display, and generally enjoyable writing and reading experience.

Lightweight design

The new Kindle Scribe isn’t just a refresh, as it features a brand-new design. Besides a larger display, the tablet is thinner and lighter, and features a uniform look since it dropped the previous model’s asymmetrical handle design. The new Scribe has an aluminum chassis, which makes the tablet feel sturdy and more premium in hand.

The Kindle Scribe actually weighs less than an 11-inch iPad Air M3. Because of that, you can easily hold the e-reader for long periods of time without your hands or wrist getting tired. Sure, it’s not as comfortable to hold in one hand as a Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Basic, but it’s still very light for its size.

As I said in the intro, the bezels are a tad thin, but they’re just large enough to let me hold the Scribe without my thumb touching the display. I still prefer this over the previous design, which might have been more comfortable to hold but was awkward-looking. The Kindle Scribe hits the sweet spot of comfort and elegance.

Gorgeous e-paper display

The first thing I do on a new Kindle is dive into a book’s settings to adjust the font, letter size, and margins. I entered the Kindle Scribe’s settings only to find that I didn’t need to change anything, since the out-of-the-box reading experience is practically perfect. This is a testament to how easy reading novels and comics is on the 11-inch e-paper display.

I typically read Titan Comics' black-and-white Savage Sword of Conan comics on the iPad Pro M5, as its OLED panel delivers such inky blacks. While the Kindle Scribe doesn’t offer the same level of contrast and defined detail, black and white comics still look great on such a large and sharp canvas.

I normally keep the Kindle’s front light off to better simulate reading on paper, but when I want to read at night, the built-in front lights get the job done. Even if you crank the brightness all the way up, the lighting isn’t as harsh as on a typical tablet or monitor. The adjustable warm light is good for minimizing blue light, and the auto light feature smartly adjusts to your ambient lighting.

The Kindle Scribe’s large and sharp screen is so good that I don’t see myself going back to reading on a Kindle Paperwhite unless I want a smaller device for reading on a cramped plane. Pardon the pun, but the Scribe’s display is really a wonder to behold.

Comfortable stylus and easy note-taking

The included Kindle Premium Pen is a brilliant stylus that feels amazing to use and hold, thanks to its thick and chunky design. The tip easily lets you draw thick and thin lines, depending on how hard you push it against the screen. The texture-molded glass display creates a nice amount of friction when you write. There’s also an eraser on the end for when you need to correct mistakes.

You’ll also find a shortcut button that lets you highlight passages, at least by default. If you want, you can head into system settings and change the shortcut to perform other actions, such as changing the lines produced to simulate a pen or pencil. Conversely, you can also disable the shortcut button. I didn’t use the shortcut button much, but it’s good to have in case I do want to enable a specific function.

For easier note-taking, there’s a convenient Quick Notes option on the Home page. Tapping it will open a new note, which is useful for when inspiration hits or you want to jot something down before you forget it. You can create as many notes as you’d like, and the most recent will remain in the “jump back in” section on the Home page. You can view all your notes by clicking on the “Workspace” tab at the bottom of the Home page.

On a related note, the Scribe’s built-in AI does an admirable job of cleaning up your handwritten notes. This is especially true for my barely legible handwriting. The AI also lets you search for notes, and even has a “chat” feature, though I haven’t taken enough notes to try this myself. I can see this being useful if, for example, you’ve taken exhaustive notes on a sci-fi manuscript and want the AI to assist you in finding what you need.

Same great Kindle experience

Beyond the hardware upgrades and new features, the Kindle Scribe offers the same fantastic Kindle experience you’re familiar with. The Home page has selections from your library and recommendations from Amazon, along with your most recent notes. Navigating your library and settings is a snap thanks to the responsive interface.

Since this is an Amazon device, you can seamlessly connect to the Kindle store and Goodreads. I know some folks have justifiable reasons for disliking these services — DRM (digital rights management) and the amount of spammy self-published books being two of many. But I like being able to purchase digital books from the Kindle store with a simple tap, or updating my Goodreads followers on how far I am into the latest novel or comic I’m reading.

Kindle Scribe (2025) review: The downs

Using the Kindle Scribe for note-taking and doodling generally works as intended, but this e-reader has some notable setbacks you should be aware of.

Active Canvas feature is clunky

I share the same frustrations with annotating text as my colleague Alex Wawro, who reviewed the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. To be specific, I’m not a fan of the Active Canvas feature.

Sure, you can write or draw right on a document or page and have your annotation appear alongside the text. However, the way Active Canvas automatically inserts annotations breaks up the text of said document or page, which can make things extremely confusing and messy. I wish your annotations or drawings stayed exactly where you placed them without distorting a page, as they do on the ReMarkable Paper Pro.

The other way to take notes is to open the expandable margin and write them there. This is a cleaner option since it doesn’t warp pages, and you’re able to hide your notes when you want. I hope there’s a fix for Active Canvas awkwardly moving text around, but the margin is the best way to go right now.

Fewer features than a similarly priced iPad Air

The 2024 Kindle Scribe was already expensive for what it offered, and its 2025 counterpart costs $100 more. While the Scribe offers meaningful upgrades and updates over its predecessor, said improvements might not be worth $499 — especially for a device that is mainly for reading books and note-taking.

For the same price, you can purchase an 11-inch iPad Air M3. You can read all of your Kindle books from the Kindle App for iPad, and even read those books (and comics) in full color. The iPad Air is also great for doodling, so long as you don’t mind the smooth, glassy display. Beyond those basic Kindle Scribe features, you can also watch videos, play games and surf the web much easier on Apple’s thin tablet.

If you’re already invested in the Amazon ecosystem, then it might be easier for you to justify the Kindle Scribe’s asking price. However, if you want a device that offers more features for the same cost, you might want to consider the iPad Air instead.

Kindle Scribe (2025) review: Verdict

The Kindle Scribe (2025) might not have the same robust note-taking features as some of its competitors, but if you like writing by hand or drawing, it will get the job done. Just don’t expect the best note-taking e-reader out there. For that, you might want to check out the ReMarkable 2 ($449).

While the Kindle Scribe might fall a little short when it comes to the scribing part, it’s a phenomenal e-reader for avid bookworms. The 11-inch display is perfect for novels and black and white comics, which you can comfortably read for hours — thanks to the device’s lightweight and sturdy design. Seamless integration with Amazon services like the Kindle store and Goodreads is also a highlight, especially if you’re invested in the company’s ecosystem.

I instantly fell in love with the Kindle Scribe when I unboxed it, and it will now be my main e-reader when I’m at home. The Kindle Paperwhite is still brilliant, but if you need a larger display that’s easier to read on, this is the Kindle to get.